When a school bus accident occurs, it’s often just that—an unexpected and unintentional course of events leading to some kind of road collision. Other times they are not so accidental, as the crashes are a direct result of risky behavior on the part of one or more motorists. Or possibly inclement weather contributed to the crash. Perhaps a bus maintenance issue is to blame.
Regardless of the type of event, school bus operators rely on risk management and insurance policies to prepare for school bus damage that runs the gamut of “everyday” to “unthinkable.”
Take the April 2014 school bus crash in Anaheim, California, with 11 students on board. Five of the children were seriously injured after the bus driver suffered a medical emergency, with the out-of-control vehicle climbing an embankment and crashing into a tree. Thankfully there were no fatalities, due in large part to the presence of lap-shoulder seat belts, as mandated by state law.
Orange Unified School District had its risk management procedures in place, but Transportation Director Pam McDonald said she still never expected an accident of this magnitude to occur.
“The drivers are all trained properly, they pass health exams and background checks, but in this instance the driver passed out at the wheel,” she explained. Risk management and insurance kicked in immediately. The NTSB took careful consideration of the matter since the bus was a newer model with no mechanical issues and included three-point seat belts as well as onboard video equipment that aided in the crash investigation.
School attorneys promptly became involved in the investigation by viewing all video footage available. Six months later the first claim was filed. Each family followed suit to receive reimbursement for their children’s injuries. Then, on Jan. 23 of this year, the district settled with the families for a total of $10 million, with money paid through the school district’s insurance provider.
One lesson to be learned by student transporters everywhere is to be prepared for unforeseen occurrences by choosing the best risk management services available and having the recommended minimum insurance coverage. Local districts may have the freedom to even implement specific insurance requirements that exceed state requirements. But another lesson is that it is paramount to be proactive with emergency plans prior to and following events.
“Insurance is used more as a safety liaison,” said Bill Raab, director of risk control for Glatfelter Public Practice. “Emergency planning before any accident occurs is most important.”
Each state has varying regulations outlining the amount of liability coverage required for a school bus. Raab said school districts and contractors must be proactive and preventive in protecting buses and students in case of emergency, such as a policy for moving buses indoors when possible during severe weather conditions, moving to higher elevations during heavy rains or floods, and having contingency plans for any type of imagined crash. This includes a procedure for contacting parents as well as documenting all students who are on board at the time.
Raab added that there are often gaps in procedures. Information must be shared from school to school as, “Certainty doesn’t exist.” Proactive risk management includes ensuring driver applicants are properly background checked and that their driving records are carefully inspected, especially noting any DUI convictions or speeding tickets. School bus operators must ensure none of their drivers are included in sexual predator lists.
Physicals and health exams are required, but depending on the state, it may not be possible to do exhaustive medical searches of driver applicants. Drivers are trained to perform daily pre-and post-trip inspections of their buses and onboard cameras can be used to verify driver speeding and hard breaking.
According to Dr. Michael Zelek, associate superintendent at Grays Lake Community High School District 127 in Illinois, prevention is a key factor in risk management. This can be achieved by training drivers properly, providing the students with awareness of bus safety, teaching students the bus rules and regulations, sharing communications with the parents, and generally providing safety tips for anyone coming in contact with the bus.
“There is a big difference with age groups and it is important that all people need to be aware of potential risks,” Zelek said, noting that it’s important for K-5 students to know how to board the bus properly. And if something goes wrong on the bus, the students know who to tell.
Education in the classroom, meanwhile, can teach students to be aware of their surroundings and also teach them to be as safe as they can be when getting on and off the bus properly, and staying away from the wheels and all danger zones.
If an accident does occur, Zelek said school districts and contractors must take steps to discover what happened by interviewing the drivers, discussing what if anything could have been done to avoid the accident and, going forward, how the students can be put into the safest possible environment.
A top priority of school bus contractors is consideration for the safety of students and drivers as well as keeping a watchful eye on bus maintenance. First Student shares school bus safety tips with the districts they serve, parents, and students at the start of each school year to reinforce safe behavior.
Company spokesman Chris Kemper said bus drivers typically take part in more than 50 hours of classroom and behind-the-wheel training before ever operating a live route with children on board. Training topics range from student behavioral management to bus safety to defensive driving. First Student also conducts in-service meetings throughout the year to discuss various safety topics as well as review company policies and procedures.
In achieving safety through school bus maintenance, Kemper said First Student customizes preventive maintenance inspections to each piece of equipment’s optimum service interval. They go beyond the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) recommendations to heighten vehicle safety, maximize equipment life cycle and achieve greater work efficiency.
Also, both pre-and post-trip inspections are required tasks for each bus run, per the industry standard. Inspections are conducted with the handheld Zonar Electronic Vehicle Inspection Reporting device to generate the electronic vehicle inspection report on more than 40 critical safety components. The report is then forwarded electronically to the maintenance team to address.
Editor’s Note: Reprinted from the April 2017 issue of School Transportation News magazine.
