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SAFETY CONCERNS IN A program called "Team Safe" was developed and used in
THE DRIVING ENVIRONMENT one school district in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the
early 1990s. It was developed to elevate the driver in his or her
The literature reviewed presented four fundamental areas of
importance for the safety of school children and thus to be
concern within the driving environment:
more implicit in discussions and decisions regarding student
management and behavior in school bus operations. Although
· Illegal passing of stopped buses by other vehicles,
the program got little traction, it was received with positive
· Passengers as pedestrians,
results in Allegheny County and serves as a model for needed
· Student behavior on buses, and
restructuring for school bus operations from the student
· Passengers with disabilities.
management and behavior perspective (Daecher 1991).
Stringent traffic laws in all states prohibit motorists from
Special needs student transportation is also a concern for
passing a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading
drivers. Issues of safe passenger securement, health monitor-
passengers (Wisconsin Department of Education 2006; CBS
ing, and safe transportation are mutually important issues with
News 2007; Bus Laws n.d.; NHTSA, n.d.a). The loading and
regard to special needs students. Drivers' physical capabilities
unloading of students is a primary consideration and was
(to maneuver wheelchairs with passengers) and their emo-
found repeatedly throughout the literature review. Establish-
tional states (to accept and understand unusual but expected
ing appropriate sheltered open and visible locations for school
behaviors of special needs students who may be physically and
bus stops; minimizing the need for students to cross streams
mentally challenged) are important. Drivers' knowledge of
of traffic; the use of appropriate safety equipment on school
health issues for special needs students, especially those who
buses when loading and unloading; and the need for drivers
are harnessed or restrained because of their physical condi-
to be attentive and checking around and along the bus dur-
tions, is also of concern (Committee on Injury and Poison
ing loading and unloading procedures and before proceed-
Prevention 2001; Illinois State Board of Education n.d.b).
ing into traffic is discussed throughout the training litera-
Specific information regarding students' needs for medication
ture cited previously and other document sources (NHTSA
or handling during an emergency are also important. Most of
1974, 1998; Special Report 222 . . . 1989; Daecher 1991;
these issues are effectively managed through training and the
De Santis et al. 1998; School Bus Stops . . . 2005; School Bus
development of an Individual Education Plan for each special
Safety Rules 2008).
needs student (NHTSA 2002b; Illinois State Board of Edu-
cation n.d.b). Thus, the quality of training and information
Based on our literature review, student management has
provided to school bus drivers is critically important for all
been a consistent issue of concern in the school bus indus-
aspects of student management.
try; however, the texture of concern has changed over time.
Many school bus drivers cite student behavior as their most
pressing concern. Controlling unacceptable behavior on TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT
the bus by a driver has been a longstanding issue; however,
in recent years "bullying" has grown in its frequency and School bus design is largely regulated by the Federal Motor
breadth across age groups. Schadlow (1987) defined the Vehicle Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 571). Thirty-three
need for trust and respect between the driver and students motor vehicle safety standards apply to school buses or multi-
on a school bus and assertive communication as a basis for function school activity buses (LeMon 1998; NHTSA n.d.a).
controlling behavior. This publication also stresses parental The most recently enacted change to these vehicle safety stan-
control and support as vitally important to controlling dards applicable to school bus activities was for multifunction
students' behavior. school activity buses. Section 571.3 of the regulation was
amended to include the multifunction school activity bus,
Protecting children from each other, while simultaneously which is a school bus that is not used to transport students to
maneuvering a large commercial vehicle through traffic, takes and from home and school bus stops. With this change, this
skill and understanding on the driver's part. In addition, in type of bus must comply with all applicable standards for
today's world, the possibility of weapons must be considered school buses, which addresses concerns in the literature
anywhere in the school environment, including on the bus. that vehicles used for field trips and other types of activities
Violent incidents on school buses and at bus stops are not in transporting students meet certain structural standards
uncommon and are not limited to urban settings. However, (National Transportation Safety Board 1999, 2000). Every
how a driver can control behavior is in part affected by possi- year, on average, 20 school-aged children are fatally injured
ble disciplinary repercussions. If school districts are soft on as a result of school transportation-related incidents. Half of
discipline regarding unacceptable behavior on school buses, these are school-aged pedestrians killed by school transporta-
the job of the bus driver is even more difficult (Brooks 1995; tion vehicles (School Transportation-Related Crashes 2006).
Education World 1997; American Public Health Association This underscores the continuing need for improvements
2005; American Federation of Teachers n.d.; Illinois State in hood design, windshields, and other features that might
Board of Education n.d.a). improve driver visibility.
