School Bus Fleet, November 2015

21 NOVEMBER 2015 SCHOOL BUS FLEETrestrained student is launched from this position and location momentary disorientation and panic occur after the crash slowing down the evacuation process Vits adds that if an unbelted passenger impacts a hard surface or another passenger during a crash and is injured it takes more time to properly extricate that student As for the reliability of the unbuckling mechanism three point seat belt systems in school buses are subject to the same federal safety standards as those in passenger cars FMVSS 209 and 210 They are required to release with the same amount of pressure on the button whether or not there is loading on the belt by the weight of a passenger Vits explains Trial by fire There have been some real world emergency evacuations of three point belt equipped school buses in the past couple of years One such incident took place on March 27 in Rancho Santa Margarita California A school bus transporting 35 middle school students caught fire from the engine compartment The bus was equipped with three point belts although its not clear how many of the passengers were buckled up Officials said that the school bus driver calmly evacuated the students before the bus became engulfed in flames The bus driver did an excellent job of getting all the students off the bus safely the Orange County Fire Authority reported on Twitter All the students are safe and no one is injured The bus driver is a hero California state director Borges says that the evacuation was described as very orderly The driver did great the kids did great Another emergency on a three point belt equipped school bus took place on April 24 2014 in Anaheim Hills California Authorities said that an Orange USD bus driver was transporting 11 middle school students when he had a medical event and passed out at the wheel The bus traveling at about 50 mph veered off of the road and crashed into trees Bystanders helped evacuate the passengers several of whom were injured Pam McDonald director of transportation for Orange USD says that all of the passengers were wearing their three point belts when the bus left their school However some students had unbuckled at a bus stop before the crash to check on the driver who reportedly wasnt feeling well For the students who were buckled the three point belts did what they were designed to do McDonald says and for the students who werent wearing theirs at the time of the crash compartmentalization worked The National Transportation Safety Board NTSB sent a team to investigate the crash They were looking at the performance of the belts McDonald says They were very interested in some kids wearing some kids not wearing their seat belts As of press time NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway said that the Anaheim Hills crash investigation was ongoing The agency may issue a report on it around the end of this year or early next year Holloway says that the Anaheim Hills incident appears to be the only crash involving a three point belted school bus that NTSB has investigated However the agency has investigated crashes in which there were school buses with lap only belts Enhancing occupant protection Compartmentalization the closely spaced energy absorbing padded seating design that has been required in school buses since 1977 is one of the key factors in the yellow bus record Seat belt suppliers have developed lap shoulder belted seats that are the same width as a regular school bus seat 39 inches and can hold two larger students or three smaller students Photo courtesy SynTec Seating Solutions kids had been strapped in That question is particularly pertinent in Florida where school buses routinely travel next to or over waterways As in other states evacuation drills are essential for preparing passengers for emergencies Florida requires school bus evacuation drills to be conducted twice a year within the first six weeks of each semester Also buses are equipped with seat belt cutters which drivers are trained to use in case they need to cut a passengers belt or their own In Montana Cohn of Helena Public Schools doesnt see seat belts as a hindrance to a quick exit Passengers practice unbuckling not just during twice yearly evacuation drills but every time they get off of the bus To unbelt yourself its less than a second You just reach down and push a button he says In an evacuation its not the seat belts thats the issue the exit point itself will be jammed up Some advocates of three point belts on school buses say that in a crash the restraints could actually improve the conditions for a safe evacuation The belts help assure that the student is kept properly seated in their original seat location says Charlie Vits market development manager for IMMIs SafeGuard restraint systems When an un