Espar Bus ad_Layout 3 10/2/12 1:25 PM Page 1
Te shop supervisor told her that this one feature saves bus mechanics a ton of time. “We can unfit seat covers, turn them
inside out and fix them, and they actually look better. We save about 45 minutes of the mechanic’s time per seat,” White said. “It’s amazing how quickly we can fix those seats, which means getting our buses back on the road that much faster with less down time.” Te other feature she likes is the posi-
tioning of the seat-belt buckles, making them flush with the seat. White said her workers found that if the buckle is poking kids, they will tuck it back into the seat,
❝
I think we were scared at first, thinking we
couldn’t afford it... ❞ — Katie White, Visalia USD
between the cushions. Tis creates extra work for bus driversduring their pre-trip inspection, because they need to reach in and pull out the buckle. “With the SynTec seats, they are flush
and level with the seats, and not un- comfortable for passengers. It’s easier for the driver to check for the belts during pre-trips — and more likely for the next passenger to use the belt,” she added.
DRIVER LIABILITY AND STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY Early on, Visalia’s bus drivers were con-
cerned about being legally responsible if a student didn’t buckle up and an acci- dent occurred. At the same time, White explained, the seat-back height grew per updated NHTSA regulations, so the driv- ers could not see all the kids, especially the younger ones. “Tere was quite a lot of concern as to
whether the kids were using the belts,” White said. “We reiterated in training that drivers need to remind students every day about using their belts. We use cameras and surveillance systems in our buses, so if there’s a problem, we can review video.” If students aren’t wearing their lap- shoulder seat belts, she continued, they
are disciplined as they would be for any infraction. “We put in so many measures to reassure and protect the driver and to keep children in their seat belts with train- ing,” White said. “We’ve written that into board policy.” Te dynamics have changed since she
was young, she said, when many people rode in passenger vehicles without seat
belts. But today’s students are looking for the restraint systems on the bus. “Seat belts also help with behavior,”
White said. “It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. It’s just a matter of training the students, at the beginning of the year, to take off their backpacks, hold them on their laps and put on their seat belts. It becomes a habit pretty quickly.” ■
...while buses IDLE away time – and money!
(800) 387- 4800 •
www.espar.com Espar’s E-Guardian Heaters...
Keeping Buses on Schedule – and Kids Warm.
www.stnonline.com 33
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