EDITORIAL DESK NEWS BROKE IN EARLY APRIL OF A 9-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO WAS STRUCK
AND KILLED AT DISNEY WORLD WHILE HE WAS RIDING HIS BIKE TO AN ON-SITE POOL. Although stories are mixed on how it occurred, the fatality involved a Disney World bus and either a distracted driver or the little boy accidentally veering off the sidewalk, entering the roadway and striking the side of the bus. Either way, it is a tragedy that no family should experience and one that should reverberate beyond a story on the 5 o’clock news. Since the start of this past school year, it seems there are very few days that
Distraction Doesn’t Have to Equal Death By Stephane Babcock
go by without hearing of either a serious injury or a death related to an ac- cident involving a bus, whether it be school, charter or transit. Yes, many of these accidents are some combination of mistakes where no specific party is to blame, but there are definitely those that could have been avoided. In the Disney World case, the park employs about 1,200 bus drivers who must take part in a four-and-a-half-week training program, with an additional three weeks of training on site, according to the company. But how much of that training covers the dangers of distracted driving? Tis is not some new phenomenon. Although the wide usage of cell phones
has increased the visibility and the number of occurrences of distracted driving– related accidents, they did not create the problem. I still remember instances when my brother and I — and our constant battles over backseat supremacy — would take our father’s eyes and attention away from the roadway. Of course, he had the authority to start blindly swinging his hand behind him to stop our bick- ering — something school bus drivers should never do, of course. But, that was only two mischievous adolescents acting foolishly; now add a bus load more, and you have not just a distraction but a full-blown diversion. Tis month, contributor Art Gissendaner took time to look into some ef-
❝ I know that it is easier to
type about all of this than actually implement it, but it has to start somewhere, and sometimes words are
the first step in a long, but important, journey. ❞
fective child behavior management techniques. We have all seen our fair share of school bus fights break out on either YouTube or the local news, but what role do drivers play in these onboard battles? Should they step in to stop the fight and risk bodily harm? Should they pull over and wait for the police to arrive? Te answers vary, and the resulting actions can sometimes lead to lawsuits and changes in policy. Now, as you may remember, I’ve talked about cell phones before on this
page and will only say that there is a definite time and place for texting, and behind the wheel is not that place, unless the vehicle is in park and the key has been removed from the ignition. Cell phone distractions have caused too many accidents (in my opinion, one is too many) and resulting injuries, and, at times, death. Texting has gone from fodder for stand-up routines to a major problem on the roadway that many states — and now even the feds — take very seriously. Te tragedy at Disney World also brought another thought into my
mind — the danger zone. It is something that most of those within the industry understand, but are we doing enough to spread that message to everyone else? And, if you think about it, the danger zone is not just a “yel- low bus” issue. It exists around every vehicle on the road. When you enter that area, whether it is a school bus, city bus or even a personal vehicle, you must be aware of the dangers and make sure the driver is aware of you. Maybe there is room for partnerships with brethren from other related industries. Maybe a PSA campaign that highlights both school bus and transit tips about the danger zones around each vehicle and how they dif- fer from one another? Or maybe something with the National Education Association or PTA that talks about school bus safety and the involvement of parents and school personnel in training students. I know that it is easier to type about all of this than actually implement it,
but it has to start somewhere, and sometimes words are the first step in a long, but important, journey. n
66 School Transportation News Magazine May 2010
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