INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS In Brief
FEDS ANNOUNCE PROPOSED RULE BANNING TEXTS BY INTERSTATE BUS DRIVERS Te U.S. Department of Transportation is teaming with Cornell University to promote public
involvement in commenting on a proposed rule that targets text messaging by commercial bus and truck drivers who travel across state lines. Te Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is the first in a set of proposed new federal regula-
tions to address distracted driving by truckers, bus drivers and other commercial motor vehicle operators. Te NPRM specifically addresses bus drivers who work for private com- panies that contract with school districts on interstate activity trips. Commercial drivers could face fines or operating disqualification if convicted of tex-
ting while driving. Public comment was scheduled to close on May 3. Meanwhile, this June the National Safety Council is promoting Teen Driving Safety week and Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving week. Many in the school transportation industry, including members of the National School Transportation Association, have said that more funding should go towards teen driving programs instead of spending money to install seat belts on school buses. While it was unknown if cell phones were to blame, both the Huntsville crash in Alabama in 2007 and the Connecticut crash this past January involved teen drivers who would have otherwise been in the school bus if they weren’t driving themselves.
FMCSA ISSUES RULE TO REQUIRE ELECTRONIC ONBOARD RECORDERS Te Federal Motor Carrier Safety Ad-
ministration issued a new rule last month that will
require interstate commercial
bus and truck companies with serious hours-of-service violations to install elec- tronic onboard recorders in all of their vehicles. Nearly 5,700 interstate carriers will use EOBRs after the final rule’s first year of implementation. Under the EOBR final rule, carriers
found with 10 percent or more hours-of- service violations during a compliance review will be required to install EOBRs in all their vehicles for a minimum of two years. The rule also provides new technical performance standards for EOBRs installed in commercial motor vehicles, including requirements for re- cording the date, time and location of a driver’s duty status. Additionally, carriers that voluntarily
adopt EOBRs will receive relief from some of FMCSA’s requirements to retain hours- of-service supporting documents, such as toll receipts used to check the accuracy of driver logbooks. Te rule goes into effect on June 1, 2012,
to ensure EOBR manufacturers have suffi- cient time to meet the rule’s performance standards and to manufacture products to meet industry demand.
SPECIAL ‘DANGER ZONES’ TRAINING OFFERED TO INDUSTRY School Bus Safety Company is making
available free-of-charge its “Danger Zones” training DVD to all school districts and bus operators in a partnership with NAPT, the Public School Risk Institute and 247 Security. “We must redouble our efforts to ensure
school bus drivers are well trained and on guard, which will save lives,” said Mike Mar- tin, executive director of NAPT. “Every school district in America should take advantage of the unique opportunity to obtain a copy of this training program — and then use it.” Te “Danger Zones” program, part of
School Bus Safety Company’s compre- hensive Driver Training Course, features a 20-minute DVD, trainer’s guide and a driver handout that covers all aspects of how drivers should behave to ensure that the danger zones are kept clear as well as how to prevent danger zone accidents. Jeff Cassell, the company’s vice presi-
dent of operations, explained that most of the 17 child fatalities in the 2008-2009 National School Bus Loading and Unload- ing Survey occurred after stepping in front of a school bus or falling beneath the rear wheels after chasing it at the bus stop. Oth- er children were killed when drivers failed to heed the flashing lights and did not stop for the bus. More information is available
atwww.schoolbussafetyco.com.
‘MAYDAY’ EXERCISE SIMULATES BUS EXPLOSION Te St. Louis Park Fire Department out-
side of Minneapolis lead an exercise last month that simulated a suicide bomber who detonates between two school buses. Te full scale exercise, termed “Op-
eration Mayday,” took place at a school building on April 24. Planning started last July with a meeting between Mike Do- besh, the assistant fire chief for St. Louis Park Fire, Lawrence Hiles of Laser Trans- portation, and Denny Coughlin, the fleet operations manager for Minneapolis Pub- lic Schools. As the meetings progressed, the scenario changed and groups were in- vited to assist. More than a dozen agencies were involved. Joining the Minneapolis bomb squad and a military bomb unit were fire, police, EMS, and hospital per- sonnel as well as employees from local schools and transportation departments. Te price tag to conduct the exercise was close to $20,000, covered by a grant facili- tated through Hennepin County, Minn., Emergency Management. Look for an article in a future issue of STN about this unique drill.
WI-FI KEEPS ARIZONA BUS QUIET Some champion seating assignments,
others seat belts to help manage student be- havior on the school bus. Tis past fall, Vail Unified School District in Arizona decided
14 School Transportation News Magazine May 2010
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