Partner Update School Bus Loading and Unloading Safety
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n January, STN Magazine reported that national school bus loading and unloading fatalities doubled in 2016 - 2017, according to the survey published by the Kansas Department of
Education and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. Te most dangerous area of school bus loading and unloading is at the right dual rear wheels know as the DANGER ZONE. Tis is where most student serious injuries and fatalities occur. From 2007 to 2017, there have been 60 injuries and 20 fatalities reported in the United States involving the right rear wheels. (See
http://mdzshield.com/mdz-shield-documentation.) When John Benish, Jr., Chief Operating Officer of school bus contractor Cook-Illinois Corporation, met inventor Mark B. Barron of Public Transportation Safety International (“PTS”) at the National School Transportation Association, Benish was highly impressed with Barron’s Minimize Te Danger Zone (“MDZ”) Shield that is designed to prevent injuries and fatalities in the Danger Zone. Benish’s company operates 2,300 school buses that service over 200 school districts in the Chicago area and is one of the top-six national contractors. Known as an innovator in the student transportation industry while operating his father’s namesake company for more than four decades, Cook-Illinois transports over 7 million school children a year. Tough school buses are actually the safest form of transportation in consideration of the number of children they move, Benish was looking for a solution to close the Danger Zone gap. Te rise of school bus fatalities within the DANGER ZONE has shifted industry focus to proactive safety measures.
Before inviting Barron to Chicago, John did his due diligence. He found that the MDZ Shield is made of high-performance BASF urethane and is bolted to the bus’s auxiliary floor cross members near the right rear wheel well. It closes the two-foot gap that leaves children exposed to the right rear wheel. Similar to the S-1 GARD developed by PTS for mass transit that has proven to prevent injuries and fatalities, the MDZ Shield is designed to deflect a person from the path of the rear dual wheels, preventing rollover. Te California Highway Patrol has already signed off on the MDZ Shield in California. “After seeing a live demonstration and the test results,” said Benish,“ I’m convinced that when the MDZ Shield can save even one child’s life, it is a must have for all C and D class school buses.” Benish agreed to an installation. Te Illinois Department of Transportation came by to inspect Benish’s vehicle in January with the installed MDZ Shield and released the bus to service. Tis opens the door to have the MDZ Shield installed on other school buses in thirty-four more states. “Safety is our first priority and the legacy of our company stands behind it,” John said. Te school bus transportation industry is quickly changing. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) are constantly becoming more innovative, striving to make safety their number one priority, such as when they lowered the hoods on school buses several years ago for better visibility to see children in front of the bus. Today, a host of new technologies are available in the industry such as the MDZ Shield, and other advanced products. For the digital version read more,
http://stnonline.com/news/ partner-updates.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INTERNATIONAL
WORLD LEADER IN MASS TRANSIT FOR PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY ESTABLISHED 1993 U.S., CANADA PATENTS PENDING
Since school buses are constructed on a truck chassis, they maintain a high profile that minimizes the damage from side impact collisions; however that allows for a dangerously high gap between the rocker panel and road’s surface. Te MDZ Shield eliminates that gap thereby addressing the number one danger surrounding child safety in proximity to school buses. For more information, visit
http://www.mdzshield.com/home.html.
MDZ SHIELD
Public Transportation Safety International (est. 1993)
kristabarry@s1gard.com | 213-689-7763 |
www.MDZShield.com
STN, will inform readers as to the next organization or district to adopt the use of MDZ Shield.
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