Safety belts are not installed in school buses for several reasons. School buses are constructed differently from automobiles in terms of (1) the locations of doors and instrument panels relative to passengers, (2) outer construction, (3) seat design and padding, and (4) visibility on the road. Under current regulations, bus seats are constructed…

School bus safety includes the development of safe drivers as well as student awareness. Outlines the McDowell County schools' (North Carolina) bus safety program. Includes discussion of whether high school students should drive school buses. (MD)

School boards can substantially minimize school bus fires with recently improved fire-resistant materials. Tests comparing fires in buses without resistant materials with fires controllable by protective materials demonstrate that manufacturers should be urged to improve materials. Materials would not prevent fires, but they would buy time to…

The school bus alert monitor is a computerized school bus alert and warning sytem that notifies parents of school bus arrival via radio frequency technology. The system also has been shown to enhance the self esteem of disabled transportation users. (CL)

Describes a computer program, developed for an Ohio school system, that monitors school bus repair and maintenance records. (MD)

Management training programs are a necessity for transportation supervisors. Basic and advanced training programs are available through associations for business officials and university fleet management training programs. (MLF)

This special section on student transportation offers a case study of a school system that recycles buses for safety drills; articles on fuel-saving strategies, the pros and cons of contracting for transportation services or operating a publicly owned bus fleet, and advice on full cost accounting for transportation costs; and a transportation…

Over the past several decades West Virginia has closed scores of small, locally-based schools (primarily high schools), as part of district-level consolidation. These consolidations have affected families and students in numerous ways. Most notably, students living in outlying towns are now required to travel much longer distances to reach…

Intended to be used as part of the existing school bus driver training program in New York State, the guide sets forth responsibilities and suggestions for transporting students with handicapping conditions. School district and BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) responsibilities for transportation are outlined. General guidelines…

Discusses areas that have provided the bulk of negligence claims against public school districts while transporting students: (1) bus stop locations, (2) duration of responsibility, (3) school bus boarding supervision, (4) driving a bus negligently, (5) driver violations, and (6) inadequate supervision during transit. Appended are 19 notes. (MLF)

Outlines the information necessary for schedule calculation of school bus runs. Describes the use of The Quick Route Optimizer software program for computer calculation of school bus routes. Includes four charts. (MD)

This document outlines measures to enhance the safe transportation of children to and from school. It reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is dedicated to the highest standards of safety in school buses, and it outlines some of the NHTSA guidelines, such as rollover protection, body-joint strength, seat belts,…

At Northern Illinois University, students pay for an intracampus bus that has relieved transportation problems on the campus. (PG)

In suburban-rural Albemarle County (Virginia), computer assistance in evaluating manually-designed school bus routes helped increase efficiency in pupil transportation and reduce the number of routes, buses, and vacant seats. (RW)

Discusses the pros and cons of diesel fuel and propane gas as alternative fuel systems for school buses. (Author/MLF)