In this article School Travel Manager will cover a few recent news articles from May. Come and keep up with the latest news in the school bus transportation industry.
Extended School Bus Stop Arm Helps To Decrease Illegal Passing
There are a lot more school districts in some states in America which are employing extended stop arms in an effort to increase the visibility of school bus stops for motorists.
From a recent review into these, three school districts have found that the extended stop arms are helping to prevent motorist from passing the school buses illegally.
A company in North Carolina, Bus Safety Solutions, have developed and produced a patented stop arm that features two stop signs which include red LED lights. They have sold over 600 units already and are being used in 38 school districts across eight U.S states.
“It’s been a fantastic product for us so far. We have seen fewer stop arm (violations),” Transportation Director Alan Justice confirmed. He estimated that illegal passing incidents had decreased by about 50 percent.
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Paper Shares The Best-Practices Of Transporting Children With Special Needs
A new policy statement from the AAP, American Acedemy of Pediatrics, provide best-practices for ensuring the safe transportation of children with special needs on school buses.
It was published on the 30th April with a dozen authors participating in the publishing, which is called, School Bus Transportation of Children With Special Care Needs. The document is similar to the recent update in the “National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures” which was adopted at the National Congress on SChool Transportation in 2015.
Sue Shutrump, supervisor of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Services at Trumbull County Educational Service Center in Ohio, said she is pleased with the new update. “I think that it is an excellent resource, which spurs the medical community and school collaboration that are necessary for advancement in transportation safety for students who have special needs,” she added. “This is especially important, due to the increase in students with special needs who ride school buses who have significant and complex medical needs.”
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Eruptions & Fumes From Hawaiian Volcano Disrupt Schools
The eruptions near the Kilauea Volcano has produced conditions which have resulted in governmental alerts, school closures and changes to school bus routes on the island.
The 5.0 earthquake on May 3 has opened three fissures on the lower East Rift Zone of the volcano which is located on the eastern edge of Hawaii according to the U.S Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
By the next day, the volcano was erupting and spewing lava, steam, rocks, ash and sulfur dioxide gas. More earthquakes followed, including a 6.9 on May 5, the strongest in the state since 1975.
“All HIDOE public schools in the East Hawaii area have been inspected for earthquake damage and are safe for students’ return on Monday,” Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto said on May 6. “All schools and staff will remain prepared for the unexpected, and initiate established earthquake, shelter-in-place and evacuation safety procedures, should the need arise.”
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