School Bus Safety Factors

Seat Belts:
Transport Canada sets safety standards for school vehicles at time of manufacture. These standards include high seat backs with energy absorbing padding, seats that are placed close together, and strong seat anchorages. In 1984, Transport Canada conducted research on the use of seat belts on school buses in frontal collisions using the current configuration. It was found that adding seat belts to this system did not increase safety but did increase the potential for more severe head and neck injuries. Transport Canada also tested several other seating configurations, but found no significant safety improvements that did not also involve other safety trade-offs. Given the extremely low number of fatalities involving school bus passengers inside the bus, the addition of seat belts does not constitute a safety advantage.
Illegal Passing of School Buses:
Few studies into the problem of the illegal passing of school buses have been conducted. One Florida study recorded occurrences over one typical school day, and extrapolated the results. An unpublished 1987 Ontario study counted illegal passes over three weeks in various parts of the province. It found they occurred in two per cent of stops, were higher in approaching traffic, in some metropolitan areas and on three and four lane highways. Some municipalities have instituted awareness and enforcement programs to address illegal passing of school buses, and the provincial government has recently raised the fines.
School Bus Driver Action:
School bus drivers involved in fatal or injury crashes are more likely than drivers in similar crashes to be driving properly (57% compared to 47%). The major causes of collision were failure to yield (29% of improper driving actions), following too close (16%) speeding (11 %) and losing control (11 %).
Collision location:
The most common school vehicle injury-producing crash location was "intersection" (31 %), "non-intersection" (27%) and "at or near driveway" (17%).
Other Factors:
The Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) indicates that 18% of injuries occur when the passenger is entering or exiting the bus. Student activity on the bus remains a significant factor in injuries. CHIRPP reports that 24% of injuries result from "horseplay or inappropriate activity" or "fighting". Fifteen per cent of injuries reported by CHIRPP result from the school bus being involved in a motor vehicle collision.