UNHEALTHY DISTRACTIONS WRITTEN BY SEAN GALLAGHER | SEAN@STNONLINE.COM T


he saying goes that life on the road can be a solitary one. Well, not exactly. As with everything, the reality is hazier than a simple black and white assumption of the driving


profession. Te perception of long-haul isolation might hold true for some who derive a living behind the wheel, but for the approximately half-million school bus drivers nation- wide, this motif is quite the opposite. Teir whole career is spent in the company of others, surrounded often- times by loud and rambunctious children, hauling them to and from school, on field trips and to athletic events.


60 School Transportation News • MAY 2016


School bus drivers aren’t afforded an isolated existence because their role is that of protective guardian to a precious resource. Yet, there is a growing crisis that is affecting drivers across the board, from the impact the sedentary lifestyle has on health to the number of dis- tractions that can snatch away the vital attention needed for driving safely. A sedentary lifestyle is defined as a routine of little to


no irregular physical activity, and it is commonly found throughout the developed world. It has been directly linked to several preventable health issues, like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76