School Bus Route Hazards

1. School Bus Route Hazards Derek Graham State Director, North Carolina

2. Fox River Grove, IL

3. Fox River Grove, IL

4. Fox River Grove, IL U.S. DOT, Office of the Secretary Grade Crossing Task Force Conclusion: Work with NASDPTS to Identify Route Hazards & Educate Industry

5. Fox River Grove, IL National Transportation Safety Board In-Depth Investigation Conclusion: Inadequate Route Hazard Identification Information Available

6. Recommendations Advise drivers of the circumstances of this accident and provide guidance about vehicle positioning, especially at railroad/highway grade crossings Develop guidelines for the appropriate placement of radio speakers; disable speakers adjacent to the driver’s head.

7. Recommendations Implement a program for identification of school bus route hazards and routinely monitor and evaluate all regular and substitute school bus drivers. Consider railroad/highway grade crossing crash histories or characteristics when establishing bus routes.

8. Grant from NHTSA Research the Issue Develop Guidelines Disseminate to School Transportation Community

9. NASDPTS Study First Issue: Define “School Bus Route Hazard” Driving ? Loading Zone ? Fixed ? Without Warning ?

10. NASDPTS Study Types of Hazards Included Driving -- Everything but Loading Zone Fixed -- None that occur without warning Not an “All-Inclusive” list

11. NASDPTS Study Approach Review existing materials Develop a “recommended” system Review & input from State Directors

12. Fixed Route Hazard Dangerous Intersections & Roadways High Crash Locations Visibility Obstructions Peculiar Roadway Features

14. Fixed Route Hazard Bridges, Tunnels, Underpasses & Overpasses Weight Capacity Clearance Lane Width

16. Fixed Route Hazard Industrial Intersections & Construction Zones Heavy Vehicles on Roadway Signage Traffic Controls

18. Fixed Route Hazard Steep Downgrades Signs for Downgrade “Check Brakes” Signs Run-off Areas

19. Fixed Route HazardAreas of Significant Vehicle Speed Differential Sufficient Room for Acceleration Farm Equipment or Non-motorized Mountainous Terrain

20. Fixed Route Hazard Pedestrian Areas Difficult Visibility Narrow Streets with Parked Vehicles Heavy Pedestrian Congestion

22. Fixed Route Hazard Other Conditions Identified in Local Area Unique Roadway Visibility Problems Emergency Vehicle Options

23. Fixed Route Hazard Queuing/Storage Areas Acceleration/Deceleration Areas Median Area Turning Lane

24. Fixed Route HazardRailroad Grade Crossing Signs & Controls Visibility Storage Space Roadway Design Features

28. Fixed Route Hazard Identification System Identification Established, systematic process Information Disseminate to all personnel Training & Common Sense Essential to success

29. One More Thing……Remember to

30. Expect the Unexpected

31. NASDPTS REPORT Route Hazards Report January 1999 # DOT HS 808 836 WWW.NASDPTS.ORG publications

32. NORTH CAROLINA RESP0NSE TO ROUTE HAZARD RECOMMENDATONS

33. NC Railroad Crossing Statistics There are 5,000 public crossings in North Carolina, an average 1.5 crossings per mile, not counting 5,000 private crossings. North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation for the total number of crossings per mile.

34. North Carolina School Transportation Statistics 13,000 School Buses 700,000+ Students Transported Daily 150,000,000 miles traveled per year

45. Food For Thought When Will it End? Wasn’t Fox River Grove enough to impress on everyone the dangers of route hazards? Evidently not…...

46. March 10, 1998 - Buffalo, MT

47. March 10, 1998 - Buffalo, MT 2 fatalities

48. Tennga - TN/GAMarch 28, 2000 2 fatalities Driver didn’t stop!

49. What’s the Answer?

50. August 5, 1998Elizabeth City, NC

51. Training Video for School Bus Drivers North Carolina Operation Lifesaver NC Dept. of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles School Bus & Traffic Safety Public Schools of North Carolina

52. School Bus Route Hazards Derek Graham State Director, North Carolina