Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released updated figures from its Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) that indicated that school-bus related crashes continue to claim the lives of about 18 students per year both inside and outside the school bus.
School Bus Safety Company President Jeff Cassell said that should needs to be reduced to zero. Despite being considered by the federal government to be the safest vehicle for children to ride in to and from school, Cassell pointed to the fact that 83 students have died as a result of a school bus-related crash in the past seven years.
“Even one fatality is unacceptable,” said Cassell, who is a former safety director for Laidlaw, which was purchased by First Student in 2007. “If your child is killed, the statistics mean nothing. We need to do everything we can to get to zero.”
As a result, the company has launched the “Twelve to Zero” initiative nationwide. In conjunction with School Bus Safety Company’s “Danger Zones” DVD- and workbook-based training program, which has delivered to more than 4,000 school districts nationwide free of charge since 2010, Cassell said more must be done to positively affect child safety.
In addition to encouraging more school districts to receive free copies of the Danger Zones program, Cassell called for all school buses to be equipped with crossing gates at the front of the vehicle to force children to walk at least 12 feet in front of the bus while crossing the street so the driver can better see them. According to NHTSA, about a dozen of the annual school bus-related fatalities are caused by drivers of buses who either pull into or out of a loading or unloading zone and strike children because they fail to see them.
Twelve to Zero also encourages more newspapers, television news stations and radio stations to remind the motoring public that it is illegal to pass a school bus with its red lights activated and stop arm extended while picking up or dropping off students.
“This is not only the law, but it’s for the safety of the kids,” Cassell added.
Lastly, School Bus Safety Company is calling for more training of students, especially the younger ones, on safe behaviors on the bus as well as at the bus stop. Federal data shows that children under seven years old are three times more likely to die in a school bus-related incident than any other age group.
“It is essential that the kids understand their role in school bus safety. The younger children aren’t careless, they’re carefree,” said Cassell. “We need to teach these kids to respect the bus and understand how dangerous it can be. SBSC has just released three new educational programs for children of all ages.”
During his 21 years at Laidlaw, he added that 38 students were killed in school bus-related incidents involving company buses and drivers.
“I remember every one,” Cassell said. “We analyzed these accidents and found that they were usually caused by multiple factors. We need every school district and contractor to focus on all four areas. Together, we can go from twelve to zero.”
