DETAILED MINIMUM STANDARDS ARE GIVEN FOR SCHOOL BUSES. SECTIONS COVER BUS CHASSIS, BODIES, VEHICLES FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, AND ILLUSTRATION OF BUS LAYOUTS. (JT)

A supplement to National School Bus Minimum Standards contains standards that refer to equipment that must be part of the bus body or part of the chassis of a bus used to transport school children to and from school in Alaska. Standards of "activity" buses that are used to transport school children to and from authorized school…

Only two school districts in the entire country require mandatory school bus seat belts. Bus manufacturers favor "compartmentalization"--a set spacing of high-backed padded seats. Two well-documented school bus accidents, where seat belts were not used, are examined. (MLF)

Existing school bus safety standards make the whole vehicle safe and are more effective than seat belts in preventing passenger injuries. (MLF)

The deterrent to school bus accidents is preparedness. Training programs for drivers and mechanics, equipment specifications, and a community support base are some of the ways to prevent tragedy. (MLF)

Increasing information suggests school buses are defective at the manufacturing level. (Reprinted from The Financial Post, Feb. 24, 1973.) (Author)

The Alaska State Board of Education has adopted the national "Minimum Standards for School Buses, 1970 Revised Edition." The purpose of this document is to specify school bus minimum standards for Alaska that are in addition to the national standards. All regular school buses must comply with applicable federal motor vehicle safety…

The recommendations of standards for school buses and their operation has been a major purpose of all the National Conferences on School Transportation since the first one in 1939. Safety and economy have served as guideposts for making decisions. Highlights from each of the conferences are cited. (MLF)

Presents the history, objectives, and guiding principles for the 12th National Standards Conference on School Transportation to be held in 1995. (MLF)

The degree of uniformity among State laws requiring drivers to stop for school buses receiving or discharging children is not such that drivers could reasonably be expected to know these laws. Because of the wide variation of State laws and the inherent vulnerability of school children and of any vehicle stopping on a highway, there can be no…

Even if all buses were to meet the new federal standards, there is a lot more that administrators can do to keep school children safe. (Author)

This article reviews the history of Maryland's controversial requirement that school buses use single-piece wheel rims. The author suggests precautions for using explosion-prone multipiece rims. (MCG)

A 1988 school bus disaster in Kentucky killed 27 passengers. A new book, "Reckless Disregard: Corporate Greed, Government Indifference, and the Kentucky School Bus Crash," by James S. Kunen, recounts the accident and the long court struggle to prove why the children died. Cites federal standards for bus safety that have been upgraded several times…

This paper is based on a committee report of the last National School Bus Conference on "Minimum Standards for School Buses." Standards for school bus operations are included for (1) administrators, (2) supervisors, (3) school bus drivers, (4) student passengers, and (5) maintenance and service personnel. The report deals also with procedures for…

Studies on seat belt usage conducted under contract with governmental organizations or prepared by professional societies, state and local organizations, and transportation specialists have made significant contributions, but none has successfully resolved the issue. (MLF)