Coinciding with the death of Milo D. Bryant, a proponent of more stringent school bus safety standards as a result of the 1988 Carrolton, Ky., church bus crash and fire, Blue Bird Corporation said all of its school bus models meet more stringent roof-crash tests than what the federal government requires.
A Blue Bird spokeswoman said all Blue Bird Type C Visions have “for some time” complied with the Kentucky Pole Test originated after a Governor’s Task Force on School Bus Safety recommended enhanced school-bus design following the death of 24 children, their driver and two adult chaperones when the church bus they were riding in was struck head-on by a drunk driver. The resulting bus fire killed the 27 passengers, and 34 others sustained injuries when emergency evacuation through the rear door was hindered. The Kentucky Pole Test was developed for the Governer with assistance from Blue Bird’s engineering test department in 1989.
The Visions also meet the requirements of the Colorado Racking Test. Both tests apply uniform forces on the roof bows to ensure crushing of metal does not occur in a crash, especially one of a roll-over variety.
The Blue Bird All American front- and rear-engine, transit-style school buses that were redesigned and unveiled last year also comply with both tests as a standard offering. The Blue Bird spokeswoman explained that All American models have also been in compliance with the tests since they were implemented. She added that the Type A Micro Bird is also being tested this spring for compliance with the Kentucky Pole Test.
A spokesman for IC Bus told STN that all of the company’s current models meet the Kentucky Pole Test. Meanwhile, its models meet the Colorado Racking Test for those states that specify compliance “with some additional features which can be easily ordered by a dealer or customer.”
Editor’s note — STN will update this story as additional details of testing requirements are made available by other school-bus manufacturers.
