The following articles and sections of STNonline.com were the most read during the past year.
Top 10 News Articles of 2017
1. School Bus Experts Debunk Inflammatory CBS Report
When CBS aired a segment attacking school bus drivers, experts in the industry were quick to respond that the issue certainly deserved review, but was not as simple or pessimistic as the news organization made it out to be.
2. Local, Federal Investigators Look Into Fatal Iowa School Bus Fire
A shocking tragedy occurred this month, when an Iowa school bus caught fire, resulting in the deaths of the driver and the only student passenger aboard. Investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
3. One Student Killed, 22 Injured in Georgia School Bus Crash
The second school bus-related fatality this year also occurred in December, when a school bus ran into a ditch and struck a tree. A five-year-old girl was killed and everyone else on board was injured.
4. Texas Bill Would Prohibit School Bus Stop-Arm Cameras
A Texas school bus contractor and a school district shared why they supported cameras on school bus stop-arms, but others said the cameras were unnecessary.
5. Watch: PBS News Hour Tackles School Bus Seat Belts
Watch the PBS segment that presented perspectives from both sides of the school bus seat belt debate, including personal stories and input from federal government agencies.
6. Police Praise School Bus Driver After Fatal Las Vegas Crash
When a car T-boned and flipped over a school bus in Nevada this May, the bus driver was praised for taking measures to lessen the impact of the crash.
7. Lee Parents Reach $23.5M Settlement in School Bus Death
Almost two years after their son Paul died from being left on a hot bus all day, the Lee parents were paid a multi-milion-dollar settlement by the bus contractor.
8. New York City Terror Suspect Crashed Into School Bus
A terror attack in New York City on Halloween ended with the suspect crashing into a school bus, injuring several students and an adult monitor. Security training for school bus drivers was subsequently and once again stressed by industry experts.
9. FMCSA Updates on Minimum Driver Training, Drug Testing
The NASDPTS Annual Conference in November was the scene of several important federal updates, including the new minimum training requirements for school bus drivers coming in 2020. The FMCSA shared details and answered questions asked by transportation staff from around the country.
10. NTSB Calls for ‘Urgent’ Exam of Baltimore Bus Driver Checks
After finding evidence of poor school bus driver standards and improper driver management, the NTSB recommended immediate review of Baltimore Public Schools’ driver qualification process and Maryland DOE requirements following a deadly head-on collision in November 2016.
Most-Read Digital Magazine of 2017
October 2017
With 4064 unique visits, the October 2017 issue of School Transportation News magazine that focused on younger leaders in the industry was our most-read digital issue this year. It was also the second most-read issue since we began publishing the magazine online in 2009.
Top Blog of 2017
PBS Segment on School Bus Seat Belts Hits Nail on Head
Ronna Weber, past-president of the National School Transportation Association, commended a PBS news segment that examined the issue of seat belts on school buses in a balanced way.
Top Poll of 2017
Do you think electric school buses will soon be a viable option for districts?
Over 300 people weighed in on the electric school bus question, with over half concluding that new zero-emissions school buses hitting the market are not yet a viable purchase option for districts.
Top Webinar of 2017
Recorded: VW Settlement & Beyond – Emissions Funding Opportunities for School Bus Deployments
Grant expert Joe Annotti shared about the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund and other funding opportunities for lower-emission school buses.
