Student Safety
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The Ontario School Bus Association believes that safety and personal security of the 800,000 children who are daily in our care are the first priority of student transportation. According to Transport Canada, the yellow and black school bus is the safest mode of transportation for school children due to stringent driver eligibility and licensing requirements, high standards of driver training, rigorous daily and periodic vehicle inspection procedures and maintenance obligations, and school bus design and construction which affords passengers superb crash protection.
Passenger Safety
According to Transport Canada, passengers of a school bus are 16 times less likely to be injured in road collisions than the occupants of any other vehicle on the road. School bus drivers must demonstrate exemplary skills and attitudes to transport such precious cargo.
Provincial School Bus Stopping Law
The Highway Traffic Act in Ontario (section 175) states that motorists are required to stop when a school bus has stopped and has its overhead red signal-lights flashing. Motorists should not proceed until the bus moves or the lights have stopped flashing. School boards and bus companies think very hard about the location of bus stops for young pedestrians. Failing to stop can result in heavy fines and demerit points.
Drive Clean/FleetSmart
Strict emission standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles, the mandatory use of ultra-low-sulphur diesel, as well as periodic government emission testing all contribute to the school bus’ low environmental impact.
To further reduce students' exposure to school bus emissions, many school boards and school bus companies enforce anti-idling policies.
The OSBA is currently implementing the FleetSmart program across Ontario. FleetSmart is a specialized program dedicated to energy-efficient practices to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. FleetSmart is a combination of skills and attitudes that become part of the driver's lifestyle.
Facility Audit
During a Facility Audit, school bus operations are measured against their stated maintenance policies by the Ministry of Transportation. Vehicles are also inspected to ensure they are compliant with legislated standards, maintenance records are legitimate and driver records and logbooks have been filled out properly.
Carrier Safety Rating
The Ministry of Transportation determines a "Carrier Safety Rating" for each school bus operator using the results of the Facility Audit and the operator’s on-road performance. This information is available to the public at
www.carriersafetyrating.com
.
The Routes
While travelling by school bus, children are supervised by the driver, who in most cases, knows them well. Seats are provided for all passengers, often permanently assigned. Standees are not permitted. Children are safe from harassment or crime, riding only with their peers.
School bus routes are planned around the location of children's homes and schools. Drivers are responsible for making sure each student is picked up and dropped off only at designated locations.
This means that all routing decisions are made by the district school board. Find a school board at
sbinfo.edu.gov.on.ca/brdfind.asp
.
The Vehicles
The Construction of the Bus
School buses are subject to extensive construction and equipment standards, to a much greater extent than any other road vehicle. School buses must meet stringent standards for structural integrity, crash protection, fire retardancy, and emergency equipment.
Children sit in specially designed, high-backed and thickly padded seats that cushion them in event of a collision. This “passive” occupant protection system is known as “compartmentalization” and is unique to school buses.
Transport Canada is responsible for setting 37 school bus safety standards, including such features as the strengthened steel beams which run the length of a school bus, a steel cage around the fuel tank, the distinctive yellow and black colouring, the overhead flashing lights and stop arm.
Seat Belts
Transport Canada frequently conducts a series of safety tests to make certain school buses continue to be the safest mode of transportation for children. It is public knowledge that seat belts save lives. However, field data, side impact tests and sled tests have shown that “compartmentalization” minimizes the risk of fatality when riding a school bus. Advances in technology and increased knowledge of occupant protection have provided us with the tools to further optimize protection for all passengers.
Compartmentalization is the high-backed, heavily-padded and closely-spaced seating found in all school buses. This built-in passive restraint system protects children the moment they take their seat. This system has proven to be very effective at preventing serious injuries and fatalities for school-aged passengers by absorbing impact.
Transport Canada and MTO have confirmed that seat belts on school buses do not offer the same protection to passengers as they do in a car. In fact, seat belts have the potential to cause more serious problems to occur. School buses do not employ the same safety features as other vehicles because they do not have similar crash dynamics. Industry representatives agree that compartmentalization is the best means of protection for the occupants of a school bus.
The Pedestrian-Student Safety Crossing Arm
The crossing arm is
a visual reminder
to students who have to cross the road before catching or after leaving their bus, to do so at a safe distance away from the front bumper. The closer students are to the front bumper of the bus, the harder it is for the bus driver to see them, or locate them in the bus mirrors.
It is important for the bus driver to know that all students are safely clear of the bus before pulling away from a stop. It is also important that students are able to make eye contact with the bus driver, whose view of approaching traffic is better than theirs, to watch for a signal that it is safe to cross the road.
The crossing arm is
not a barrier
.
Students are not expected to wait behind the crossing arm as though it was a turnstile or railway grade crossing gate.
Traffic safety statistics demonstrate clearly that students are at greatest risk of serious injury as pedestrians around the bus, not as school bus passengers. Use of the pedestrian-student safety crossing arm is no replacement for vigilance on the part of students, school bus drivers, or the motoring public. However, it may prove helpful in reminding everyone to take extra care in the danger zone.
Regular Inspections
In addition to regular mechanical maintenance and daily vehicle inspections by the driver, the Motor Vehicle Inspection Station will perform at least two inspections each year on every school bus in Ontario! Prevention maintenance is what keeps students safe.
Spot Checks
All school buses are subject to roadside safety inspections. Unlike other kinds of commercial vehicles, they take place at the destination, rather than at the roadside. The inspections are unannounced and are routine checks. The results of the inspection are reported to the drivers, the school bus company and the school board.
Every school bus company requires a Commercial Vehicle Operator Registration (CVOR) number. The company's on-road performance is tracked against it.
Driver Standards
School bus drivers in Ontario are held to the highest expectations for safety and reliability and considering the precious nature of the passengers, it's not surprising school bus drivers receive hours of specialized training, including written exams and road tests.
They must complete certified driver improvement courses, and take periodic re-examinations. Driving records and criminal records are screened, and regular medical exams are required. Drivers are subject to exacting laws controlling fatigue, such as how many consecutive hours they are allowed to work and how long their breaks must be.
At the start of each day, school bus drivers must inspect their vehicle before it leaves the lot. Drivers read instruments and gauges, perform routine tests, and confirm proper mirror adjustments. The driver is also responsible to ensure necessary repairs have been completed before the bus is taken on the road again. To ensure excellent communication between operators and drivers, the inspection is recorded in a vehicle logbook. This enhances passenger safety and minimizes mechanical breakdowns.
To learn more about the responsibilities of school bus drivers in Ontario,
click here.
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