On the NAPT blog, Lawrence posted photographs depicting
the poor visibility that often occurs with rain, sleet and snow. “While speaking in Maine in July of 2009, I found another bus
manufacturer changed their mirrors, and if you look (see photo, bottom right, opposite page), you can see that it is terrible,” he wrote in his Sept. 11, 2009 posting. Tat manufacturer, International, immediately acted to cor-
rect the problem, but Lawrence emphasized that none of the manufacturers are “perfect.” “If manufacturers are not policing themselves, then the engi-
neers don’t necessarily have the real-world experience to say, this is not acceptable,” adds Lawrence. “Yes, the mirror may meet the standard, but it’s absolutely inexcusable to have a school bus on the road in this condition. If drivers can’t see in the mirrors be- cause they’re obstructed by the unwiped area of the windshield, it’s just like Russian roulette.” A Blue Bird representative said the issue appears to be one of
personal preference, as other customers have indicated they are concerned with the new mirror position as the mirror itself now obstructs the traffic field of view. And since the placement com- plies with current federal regulations, the company will continue to offer the standard mirror location as being the best placement for the overall field of view. It’s also interesting to note that while FMVSS 111 does not
mention requiring the driver being able to see the mirrors through the windshield wiper pattern, Canadian Motor Vehicle Regulation 111 does.
Revision of National Specs in the Works Steering Committee Chair Pete Baxter confirms that the po-
tential right-hand mirror hazard is one of several safety issues under review by committees and states as the National Congress on School Transportation prepares to meet in May. “I think the issue is gaining some traction. Anytime you have re-
stricted visibility in one of the mirrors, it can’t help affect driving and unloading and loading actions,” says Baxter, who also sits on the writing committee charged with reviewing this specific wording. Mike Kenney, chair of the NCST school bus specifications writ-
ing committee, agreed that the current FMVSS 111 does not provide enough guidance and that a new and improved NCST manual can help fill that gap. “Tis is really an excellent, comprehensive tool,” says Kenney,
who is also the Region 5 coordinator for the State of Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Te national specifications in this document, some states adopt it as their law, many in its entirety, while others use it as a guideline.” Kenney went on to explain that it is a necessary tool because it standardizes the industry and can bring down the price of buses.
www.stnonline.com 43
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