General Bus Questions
Q: Do I need a special license to drive a bus?
A: Yes. If you wish to drive any vehicle with more than 10 passengers, including driver (in the State of California, other states may vary)... you require more than just a Class C license. (However, 10 and under you can drive a passenger van with a Class C California Drivers license).

Q: Can I use any type of bus to transport kids to or from a school?
A: No. Transporting school children requires a school bus. School buses are built with safety in mind...and nothing is more important than our kids safety.

Safety, Security, Health and Environment
Q: How safe is the school bus? How can it be safer than a car with airbags and seatbelts?
A: The National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school. Some 475,000 school buses transport 25 million children – more than half of America’s school children – each day, and complete 10 billion passenger trips and 4.3 billion miles per year, almost always without a serious incident.

Riding in a school bus is much safer than using any other form of transportation – including personal vehicles and railroad and airline travel. According to the Transportation Research Board, part of the National Academy of Sciences, a child is 13 times safer in a school bus than in other modes of travel. Children driving to school or riding with other teenage drivers are 44 times more likely to be fatally injured than in a school bus. (“The Relative Risks of School Travel,” 2002.)

Q: Why don’t school buses have seat belts?
A: School buses are the safest way to transport your children to and from school. The color and size of school buses make them easily visible and identifiable, their height provides good driver visibility and raises the bus passenger compartment above car impact height; and emergency vehicles are the only other vehicle on the road that can stop traffic like a school bus can.

School buses are carefully designed on a different transportation and protection model than the average passenger car. The children are protected like eggs in an egg carton – compartmentalized, and surrounded with padding and structural integrity to secure the entire container. The seat backs are raised and the shell is reinforced for protection against impact.

There are other differences to consider between your car and your child’s school bus. In your car, you can supervise your child and ensure that your child’s belt remains properly secured. School buses use what is called “passive restraint,” meaning all a child must do to be protected is simply sit down in a seat. School buses also must be designed to be multi-purpose, fitting everything from a six year-old to an 18 year-old senior on the high school football team in full uniform. Sometimes it’s two to a seat, other times three. Because of this, emphasis is placed on protecting the entire valuable cargo.

Q: The school bus looks like it’s hardly changed in decades. Where’s the modernization?
A: Although school buses have been the safest mode of transportation on the road for decades, the school bus industry is continuously working on new technology and safety features to make our children as safe as possible.

School buses have remained distinctive in color and basic shape for years – preserving their easy identification by the rest of our communities. However, beneath this familiar shape is a modern generation of school bus with dozens of improvements. New buses regularly incorporate new safety features, all designed with the goal of keeping our children safe. You may not see all of them, as improvements are constantly being made both internally and externally with each new model. Different buses from different manufacturers will include different new features, but some examples are:

* Gate arms attached to the front of the bus help guarantee children walk out where the driver can see them at all times.
* “Sleeping child alarm” in the rear of the bus guarantees the driver checks each seat at the end of his or her route.
* New designs of the front windows, mirrors and the driver’s seat location give drivers a better view of the road and of students.
* Reinforced side panels resist side impacts.
* Increased emergency exit space allows quick and easy evacuation if necessary.
* Higher seat backs to increase the effectiveness of passenger protection.
* High visibility exterior markings to increase traffic awareness.

Q: What kinds of regulations must school buses abide by?
A: School buses abide by a host of federal, state and local regulations that govern their production, maintenance and operation. For full details on school bus guidelines, please visit our list of safety attributes and mandates.

Regulations vary slightly from state to state, but certain federal guidelines ensure that every bus in every state meets high safety and upkeep requirements. Unfortunately, many of these laws are unfunded mandates, placing the onus to pay for compliance on states, local school districts or school bus operators.

Although the federal government sets requirements for school buses, such as pollution limits and safety features, it does not provide any direct, regular funding to meet these or other expenses. With federal funding to complement these federal regulations, school buses in all states could adhere to even higher safety standards and expand their service.

Q: How are school bus drivers trained? [Can they be trusted with my child?]
A: School bus drivers are the most highly trained, tested and scrutinized drivers on the road. All school bus drivers must obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and must pass written and skills tests to obtain a School Bus Endorsement.

Once they have their licenses, drivers receive specialized classroom and behind-the-wheel training in driving a school bus, student loading/unloading procedures, student evacuation, student behavior and security management, and emergency medical procedures. School bus drivers are carefully monitored by the school district and/or company that manages school bus fleets to ensure that they continue to meet strict safety standards.

In addition, all school bus drivers are required to participate in pre-employment, random and post-accident drug and alcohol testing, undergo frequent driving record checks, and pass periodic medical exams to ensure they are physically qualified. Many of these drivers also must pass background checks prior to employment.

Q: Is bus driver a safe person?
A: In addition to their rigorous training, all school bus drivers are required to participate in pre-employment, random and post-accident drug and alcohol testing, undergo frequent driving record checks, and pass periodic medical exams to ensure they are physicaly qualified. Many of these drivers also must pass background checks prior to employment.

Q: How can I be sure that my child is safe from bullying on the bus?
A: The American School Bus Council is concerned about bullying on school buses, just as our educators are concerned with bullying in the classroom. School bus drivers are being trained with new techniques to manage student behavior and are partnering with school administrators to address the issue. Many school buses now have cameras installed, both inside and out, to monitor students and help with identification and resolution of problems. Another benefit of this technology and training is to enhance the security of our students while they are on the school bus.

Q: Is it healthy for my child to ride the school bus?
A: The school bus keeps children – and the environment – safe. By providing convenient transportation for millions of school children, school buses reduce the number of cars that would otherwise be on the road. The school bus helps parents save money on gasoline, reduces traffic congestion (especially around school walking zones, where our children are most vulnerable) and also reduces the nation’s dependence on oil.

Model year 2007 school buses are 60 times cleaner than those built before 1990, and, as older buses are replaced with newer, cleaner burning ones, they will further reduce our pollution and fuel usage. In addition, since 2003 school bus operators have retrofitted more than 12,000 school buses with emissions-reduction technology through the help of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus grants. If all 25 million children who ride the school bus each day were driven by their parents instead, a substantial amount of additional carbon monoxide would pollute the air each year. School bus manufacturers also are making large investments in new diesel, natural-gas, electric hybrid and other engines to further reduce pollution.

Q: What can parents do to help keep kids safe on and off the school bus?
A: The American School Bus Council is working hard to keep children safe, but there are things you and your child can do to take an active role in staying safe.

* Walk your child to and from the bus stop. If possible, wait with him or her until the bus arrives.
* Be alert to traffic. Check both ways for cars before stepping off the bus.
* Wait for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street.
* Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
* While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
* Before leaving the sidewalk, look for the flashing lights.
* Never go under the bus to retrieve something you’ve dropped.
* Teach your child the importance of staying seated on the bus.
* Get to know your bus driver. He or she is a trained professional who sees your child every day; he or she would be happy to tell you about the safety features on the bus and the responsibility drivers have for keeping their young passengers safe.
* Get to know the parents of other riders. You will learn about the other children your riding along with your child.
* Sign up for American School Bus Council updates to stay informed about the latest news and information on school buses.
* Read "Carmen Loves the Bus" with your child.