GHSA Policy on School Bus and School-Related Safety

Excerpted from GHSA Policies & Priorities

GHSA supports comprehensive training for children, teachers, parents and school bus drivers in the proper loading and unloading of school buses and feels that such comprehensive training should be made a regular part of each state’s school transportation safety curriculum. This training should include, but not be limited to: the procedures for loading and unloading a school bus; other related areas such as getting to and from the bus; waiting for the bus; and bus riding behavior as it relates to safety.

GHSA endorses the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommendations for retiring pre-1977 buses as expeditiously as public finances allow; regulating pre-1977 buses in private use by requiring annual safety inspections and compliance with minimum vehicle safety equipment standards; increasing coordination of research efforts and cooperation in designing safer school buses; and including school bus drivers under all licensing and driver qualification phases of the Commercial Driver’s License regulations.

GHSA also endorses the use of school bus safety devices such as stop-arms, cross-view mirrors, crossing control arms, electronic sensors and other devices, and encourages states to implement the use of these devices. GHSA supports the use of automated enforcement to enforce school bus passing and school speed zone rules.

States should take steps to enable children to walk and bicycle to school safely. SHSOs are encouraged to participate in the planning, development and implementation of federally funded projects and activities that improve safety in the vicinity of schools. In particular, SHSOs should provide public awareness campaigns and outreach to press and community leaders, traffic enforcement in the vicinity of schools and curricula for students on bicycle and pedestrian safety.