COVID-19 presents novel and unprecedented challenges to our society. The pandemic is placing our economic system, our system of government and every sector and area of human life under great stress, and forcing us to raise to the challenge in new ways. Education is no exception. Educating students, ensuring they make progress, and safeguarding…

Every school day bus drivers are responsible for transporting children safely over many miles, yet they are rarely polled for their opinions or contributions to school safety. School bus drivers are in a unique position to inform the discussion on aggressive behavior during the school day. This exploratory study collected information from school…

A study to assess whether the school bus speed limit should be changed in Virginia is described in this report. The relationship between the safety characteristics of Virginia's three-tiered speed limit system and school bus operation is examined to determine the optimal level of safety for school bus travel. Virginia allows the following three…

Describes actions taken by the Missouri School Bus Contractors Association to resolve bus-handrail defects. Describes cooperative efforts to develop national standards from 1936 to the present, public perceptions of school-bus safety, and recent improvements and requirements in school bus safety. (LMI)

School-bus handrails have had the same basic design for more than 30 years. However, students' recent propensity to wear oversized and baggy clothing increases the likelihood that clothing or accessories may become snagged on bus handrails. Children across the United States have been injured or killed when their clothing or accessories caught in…

This report of a Colorado school district's program for student management on school buses includes descriptions of discipline procedures and the "Safe Ridership" program which is offered at the elementary and junior high levels and which of instructs students on ridership rules and regulations. Also included are copies of the relevant…

This booklet is intended to aid local school district administrators by providing guidelines for implementing programs on school bus evacuation and safe riding practices. Included are general guidelines for developing and implementing classroom instruction in safe riding practices, detailed guidelines for familiarizing bus drivers and students…

In 1977, a series of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for school buses became effective, mandating different performance standards for school buses compared to other buses. Because data on the crash performance of school buses built to these standards were lacking, the National Transportation Safety Board conducted a series of…

This document provides statistical information regarding the incidence of school bus-related accidents and fatalities. Descriptive data are presented on occupant and pedestrian fatalities by age, time of day, and principal impact point on school bus vehicle; the number of school-age pedestrian deaths; and the number of school bus-related crashes.…

This publication provides a summary and update of school bus-safety activities conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This report discusses Congressional mandates and NHTSA's actions to improve school-bus safety (which include programs that affect human behavior and motor-vehicle safety performance), the magnitude…

This document presents findings of a study that evaluated the use of both propane and compressed natural gas as alternative fuels for Washington State school buses. It discusses air quality improvement actions by state- and federal-level regulators and summarizes vehicle design, development, and commercialization activities by all major engine,…

Presents a program that one school developed to address extortion and fighting on school buses. Fourth- and fifth-grade students were encouraged to become "flight attendants" on the buses. This enhanced students' sense of pride, responsibility, and interest in others, creating a safer atmosphere more conducive to learning and career…