| Subj: | school bus safety |
| Date: | 7/21/2002 10:48:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time |
| From: | GimonaG |
| To: |
Upon our advise, GinomaG had sent a email to Mark.Marino@DOT.STATE.NJ.US
I'm responding to your email and just
have some questions.
You stated that you have been through many bus companies, are these buses being
contracted by you or are they being supplied to you by the BOE?
To address your questions:
1. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by improper. All seat belts
have a label sewn on the belt, it identifies the federal code that is being met
by the belt. N.J. has required seat belts on school buses that were
manufactured after 9/8/92. Prior to that date belts were not required.
2. NJAC 6:21-6C.3 requires a communication system be equipped for handicap
school buses only.
3. Aides do not come under my jurisdiction, my office addresses
inspections of buses and licensing of drivers. Aides would come under the
county superintendents office or the Office of Pupil Transportation, Linda Wells
is that office Director.
4. To answer your question regarding the aides stopping at 7-11, you'll
have to find out who has jurisdiction over the aides.
5. On small school vehicles (passenger capacity of 9 or less) lettering is
not a requirement.
If you have the time and feel that your concerns can be addressed by a phone
call, my number is 609-633-9473. If I'm not available when you call, just
leave your name and number and I'll return your call.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer your transportation concerns.
Mark
HELP NEEDED
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GIANA LIVES IN BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
IT HIT HOME
What's the answer, my Nephew tells me that when he takes his grandchildren for a ride in his car, he must put them in the rear seat and buckle them up with seat belts. Every morning going to work, he cannot escape the following of a School Bus, and what does he see, 30 or more kids running/fooling around in a school bus. I guess they don't have seat belts on.
WHAT'S THE ANSWER ??
you tell me
LAP BELTS/SHOULDER BELTS ARE IMPORTANT
SO IS TELEPHONE NUMBERS ON BUSES
STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEFINITIONS
Motor Vehicles and either the Department of Education or the
Department of Human Services, whichever is the appropriate supervising agency.
"School Vehicle Type
II" means any vehicle with a seating capacity of 16 or less, used to transport
enrolled children, and adults only when serving as chaperones, to or from a
school, school connected activity, day camp, summer day camp, nursery school,
child care center, preschool center or other similar places of education. Such
vehicle shall comply with the regulations of the Division of Motor Vehicles
and either the Department of Education or the Department of Human Services,
whichever is the appropriate supervising agency.
"School zone"
means that portion of a highway which is either contiguous to territory occupied
by a school building or is where school crossings are established in the vicinity
of a school, upon which are maintained appropriate "school signs"
in accordance with specifications adopted by the director and in accordance
with law.
"School crossing"
means that portion of a highway where school children are required to cross
the highway in the vicinity of a school.
The issue of seat belts on school buses has been hotly debated for decades. (PhotoDisc) Report: Lap Belts Don’t Help on Buses
Findings Expected to Lead
to Regulation Changes
By Lisa Stark
W A S H I N G T O N, May 3 — Lap belts do not improve passenger safety on school buses and instead can put riders at high risk of severe or fatal neck injury, according to a new report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The findings are expected to lead to a change in federal recommendations on school bus passenger restraint systems.
ABCNEWS obtained a copy of the draft report on school bus safety and seatbelts, which was based on years of research and extensive crash tests. The findings will be formally presented to Congress.
Only Three States Require Lap Belts
The issue of seat belts on school buses has been hotly debated for decades.
New York, New Jersey and Florida require lap belts on all newly purchased school buses and the federal government requires them on the smallest of school buses (those under 10,000 pounds). They are the only kind of seat belt currently found on school buses.
Experts say NHTSA's report is likely to force states to re-evaluate their policies.
"I think those states are going to have to seriously reconsider what they currently require," says Charles Gauthier, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services.
ABCNEWS has learned that based on the study, the federal government will move away from lap-only belts on the smallest school buses. NHTSA is expected to recommend that lap/shoulder belts be required on these vehicles.
A Question of Costs
The government test found that lap/shoulder belts, which are mandatory in cars, could benefit school children by reducing head injuries and by substantially reducing neck injuries.
"Lap/shoulder belts have proven to be the best technology for every other kind of motor vehicles," says Gauthier. "Why wouldn't it be the best for a school bus also?"
However, the government is not expected to recommend lap/shoulder belts for larger school buses.
Part of the reason is cost.
By law, though, the government must consider the cost of a new regulation.
According to the report it would cost $120 million a year to outfit new buses with the lap/shoulder belt combination.
NHTSA estimates those belts would prevent only one student death a year. Fewer than 10 passengers a year die in school bus crashes, an average of two of the deaths are in head-on crashes, the type of crash in which NHTSA believes these seat belts are most likely to help.
David Burzinski, who lost his daughter in a school bus crash, says cost calculations are misplaced.
"We're talking about kids' lives and I don't think you can put a cost on any child's life," he said.
Burzinski believes a seat belt could have saved his 9-year-old daughter, Kristine, who died five years ago when a gravel truck smashed into her Minnesota school bus.
"My daughter died on a school bus because she was thrown out of her seat. She was thrown side to side and her head was crushed."
Experts Say Belts Would Prevent Injuries
Authors of the report also argue there is a great potential for students to misuse the belts, putting the shoulder strap under their arms or behind their back. They say that would make the belts no better than the potentially dangerous lap belts.
But Gauthier doesn't buy that argument.
"I would hate to see a safety technology ignored because we have concerns about it being misused when education, education, education can solve a lot of misuse."
And the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has pushed for seat belts in school buses, argues the study makes it clear that lap/shoulder belts should be mandated for school buses.
The academy points out that NHTSA has not estimated how many injuries the belts might prevent. An estimated 7,500 passengers are injured in school bus crashes every year, 350 of them seriously.
"Prevention costs, but injuries cost even more," says academy member and peditrician Dr. Phyllis Agran. "And I think it's important for children to get the message that you buckle up in whatever motor vehicle you are traveling in, including school buses."
School districts and states have been eagerly awaiting the NHTSA study before they decide whether to move forward on seat belts.
This may derail any moves to install lap only belts in buses. It's unclear whether it will convince states to move forward on lap/shoulder belts. Only one state, California, is poised to require lap/shoulder belts on school buses
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FUMES ARE IMPORTANT, SO ARE TELEPHONE NUMBERS
|
School Buses and Diesel Exhaust
Consumer Correspondent Greg Hunter Reports on School Bus Diesel
Exhaust
Feb. 7
— The following is an unedited, uncorrected transcript of Greg
Hunter's report, which aired on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America
on Thursday, Feb. 7.
|
|
ABCNEWS' DIANE SAWYER: But now we turn back to this story. Important news for every parent of children who ride school buses. Later today, a new study from Yale University will be released, saying the amount of diesel fumes emitted by most school buses reaches levels that are substantially higher than the government standard. And those fumes are going directly into the air your children breathe. Our consumer correspondent Greg Hunter has an exclusive look at the study. ABCNEWS' CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT GREG HUNTER:Twenty-four million children in America ride to and from school everyday on a fleet of nearly 600,000 school buses. Most are powered by diesel fuel. And each of those children, on average, spends an estimated 180 hours every year on board one of those buses. Here's the bad news. According to a new Yale University study by Professor John Wargo, some kids are getting high levels of diesel exhaust from their school bus. Using ultra-sensitive monitors, which he placed directly on school children, Wargo took readings of the air quality around the children every minute throughout the entire school day. So you found out exactly what they were breathing in minute to minute? PROFESSOR JOHN WARGO PHD, RISK ANALYSIS & ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: Yeah, we mapped it out. Actually, every 10 seconds we took a reading. HUNTER: (VO) Wargo's readings showed spikes in the measurement of diesel exhaust at certain points of the day. His results differ from those of the EPA because the EPA measures air quality at fixed locations and averages the results over a three-year period. How much higher than the government's acceptable level were you finding routinely? WARGO: Well, for short periods of time, we were finding levels that were five to 10 times higher than the government standard. HUNTER: That's a big spike. WARGO:It was a surprise to me. HUNTER: There's no telling exactly what exposure to this kind of diesel exhaust could do to a child's health, but children with asthma, like 13-year-old Erin Paternoster, say they feel it every time they get on the bus. (OC) Did you ever have a time when you got on the bus feeling great and got off the bus feeling sick? ERIN PATERNOSTER, STUDENT WITH ASTHMA: Yeah, many times, I go on the bus and then I come off of it and I feel tightness in my chest or I can feel like I'm starting to wheeze or I feel like I need my inhaler. HUNTER: (VO) Her father, John, is outraged. JOHN PATERNOSTER, ERIN'S FATHER: I'm not sure you're going to find a parent who's going to say, you know, we're--we're doing something right now that's harmful to our children, let's wait five more years before we do anything about it. Peop--parents won't stand for that. HUNTER: (VO) But that's exactly what the EPA is doing. In 2006, they're going to implement new, cleaner standards for all diesel engines, including school buses. The reason they're implementing cleaner standards, in part, they say, because diesel exhaust is likely to cause lung cancer, and they say the regulations will prevent more than 8,000 premature deaths and more than 300,000 asthma attacks. Wargo used two devices, one measured gases like benzine and the other measured ultra-fine particles such as soot. Wargo had 15 school children carry these devices throughout their school day. WARGO:What we found was in the morning, when they got on the bus, they were exposed to a high intensity of particulates. They tended to diminish during the school day. And then at the end of the day, there was another burst to their exposure. HUNTER:(VO) Wargo also found the level of diesel exhaust for the buses was especially high under certain conditions, such as when the buses were parked end to end in front of the school, with the engines idling. (OC) I can smell the exhaust on the bus. WARGO: Yes, absolutely. HUNTER: So it comes right out … (VO) The school bus industry says there's an earlier study conducted in a Virginia school district last March that shows breathing the air on Fairfax County Public Schools' buses poses no health risks. CHARLES GAUTHIER, STATE DIRECTORS OF PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM: I would--one thing is caution the parents of the country, don't be alarmed at this point. Let's wait and make sure we understand everything before we make decisions that--that affect the health of our children and our own health ourselves. HUNTER: (VO) Another industry group, the Diesel Technology Forum, argues that the diesel engines now being produced are much cleaner than the diesel engines of the past, and that with proper maintenance, diesel school buses pose no threat to riders. The costly process of upgrading a large bus fleet still poses a challenge to cash-strapped public schools, and even with the cash, it will still take time. SAWYER:Our consumer correspondent Greg Hunter joins us now. So you're a parent, you see this, you want to do something, what? HUNTER: One of the best things Dr. Wargo says that schools can do, and they're doing it in California and they're doing it in states like Connecticut, is having a no-idle policy. The school bus pulls up, they cut the engine off and that way they're not kicking out all that diesel exhaust. Another thing they can do is stagger the times for the buses to come in, so instead of all of them pulling up, the kids getting on, and all of them pulling off, they stagger the times they come in and it will, you know, help alleviate the problem. He says it's going to be kind of expensive retrofitting some of these buses, 5, $6,000, and it will take time. SAWYER: OK, thanks, Greg Hunter |
OKLAHOMA
(Some of our towns have phone number on them too)
CONGRATULATIONS ---- OKLAHOMA
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Recent E-Mail
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Ed,
I didn't
have time to go through the whole thing but what I saw was impressive. I
think you are providing a terrific service to the parents of school children and
calling attention to what needs strenghthening in that area.
I noticed you got the attention of quite a few people and that's always a good
sign.
Congratulations on a really great civic service you are performing.
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INSTEAD OF CHARGING, IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN OUR CHILDREN, THERE WOULD BE NO CHARGE --- SHAME ON THEM
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I have read your website, and find all of the information very interesting and
educating. I particularly found the email from the gentleman from the State of
New Jersey to be very interesting, since it is my business to place telephone
numbers on commercial vehicles. Although i must admit, i have not read the
laws pertaining to "school bus advertising", this is the first time i
have heard of such a law actually being practiced. It was not my intention to
get on here and try and sell anything to anyone, but i believe that i have what
may very well be the exception to this "law". I have developed a
program that allows companies, government organizations, or any fleet
incorporated business, to setup and operate their very own "How's My
Driving?" program. The telephone numbers will be their own numbers,
thus eliminating the "advertising" issue altogether. Again, it was not
my intention to try and advertise my product, or service on your website, but i
believe this may be just what you're looking for. I hope i can be of further
help. My website is http://www.usadrivesafe.com . Look for the diy Fleet
Monitoring Program. My email is USADriveSafe@aol.com. I will be glad to answer
any questions or concerns.
Thank You For Your Time,
Tim Ford
Operations
USADS
USADriveSafe, Inc.
http://www.usadrivesafe.com
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
NOW THAT SCHOOL IS STARTING ONCE AGAIN, SCHOOL BUSES WILL BE ON EVERYONE'S MIND AND EYES. IF YOU SEE ARTICLES IN THE NEWSPAPERS ETC. EMAIL THEM TO ME AND I WILL INSERT THEM ON THIS WEB PAGE.
Subj:
I need help with Bus Issue!
Date:
9/2/2001 8:38:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:
sterling@kingcon.com (S.Sterling)
Reply-to:
sterling@kingcon.com (S.Sterling)
To:
elubo@aol.com
File:Article#1.zip
(219959 bytes) DL Time (115200 bps): < 1 minute
I
am soooo glad I found your website. I
am a mother in Vermont fighting First Student.
Please review the attatchments I have, they are recent newspaper articles
in our local paper on this issue. I
am doing EVERYTHING I can think of. As of Friday I have an attorney(how we are
going to pay for this I'll never know) but if I quit fighting this I won't be
able to sleep at night. Our next School Board meeting is Sept 13th(Thursday) and ANY
help you can give me would be very appreciated.
I have contacted my Senators, State Reps, TV Stations and Newspapers.
Some bend over backwards to help and others don't.
I need your help too! Stephanie
Sterling
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you send me an email, I will place it on the next page.
TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER EMAIL RESPONSES ON NEXT PAGE
Subj: School Bus accidents and fatallities while backing a school bus. Date: 8/28/2001 6:47:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: dra1104em@evsc.k12.in.us (Dan Armstrong) To: elubo@aol.com
WE ARE HAVING A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL BUSES NOT GOING INTO SUB-DIVISIONS WITH SMALL TURN-AROUNDS. OUR SCHOOL BUS TRANS. MGR.'S AS A RULE REQUEST THAT OUR DRIVERS AVOID BACKING AT ALL COST. PLEASE SEND ME ANY STATISTICS REGARDING ACCIDENTS AND OR FATALITIES REGARDING THIS TOPIC.
HOT TOPICS
1.Widespread us of non-conforming vans.
2.Attracting and retaining Qualified Drivers.
3.Minimizing the dangers of loading and unloading a bus.
4.Avoiding accidents at rail-grade crossings.
5.Maintaining student discipline on busses.
6.Contracting with a coach bus operators.
7.Inadvertently incurring the financial responsibilities of others.
NEWARK STAR LEDGER
FRIDAY JAN. 4TH, 2001
2 CHARGED AFTER BOY IS LEFT ALONE ON BUS.
Old Bridge, New Jersey: An Old Bridge school bus driver an aide were arrested and suspended from their jobs after a parent accused them of leaving a 3-year old developmentally disabled boy alone on a mini-bus for more than an hour. etc. etc.
FIVE YEAR OLD BOY KILLED
DECEMBER 1ST, PAPER
HEY HOW ABOUT THIS ONE
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Subj: |
Re: School Bus
Lettering - Phone Numbers -Reply |
|
Date: |
11/29/2000 4:16:20 PM
Eastern Standard Time |
|
From:
Mark.Marino@DOT.STATE.NJ.US (Mark Marino) |
|
The name in big letters is not considered advertising, its required by code.
The owning or operating organization shall be conspicuously identified in
letters at least three inches high, located on each longitudinal side of the
exterior of the bus ( NJAC 6:21-6B.17(e) 1.).
Mr. Marino claims that "how's my driving call ###.####
is advertising
The following is an email received from the State of New Jersey
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Subj: |
School Bus
Lettering - Phone Numbers |
|
Date: |
11/28/2000 6:15:03 PM
Eastern Standard Time |
|
From:
Mark.Marino@DOT.STATE.NJ.US (Mark Marino) |
|
Mr. Lubowicki:
Phone numbers displayed on school buses is considered advertising. NJAC 6:21-6B.17 (f) permits manufacturer and vendor trade names to be displayed
but allows no advertisement of any kind to be exhibited on the interior or
exterior of the bus.
If you have any further questions please contact the school bus unit at
609-633-9473.
My email reply to Mr. Marino
|
Subj: |
Re: School Bus
Lettering - Phone Numbers |
|
Date: |
11/28/2000 6:56:41 PM
Eastern Standard Time |
|
From: |
|
|
To: |
Phone numbers displayed on school buses is considered
advertising
How's my driving call ### #### you are considering as an advertisement is
ludicrous.
Ed Lubowicki
Safety of Children
on School Buses
Demands the HIGHEST
Standard of Care
Go to ----> School safety drivers
Now is the time to get after your school administrators, now before contracts are given out for the coming year. Tell your school administrators that the new contracts should include telephone numbers placed in the back of the school buses.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Why small school buses?
With the small buses, school bus companies DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, have to hire drivers with CDL drivers licenses -- they can hire anybody, as long as they have a drivers license -- is this what you want?
DOES YOUR STATE PERMIT THE USE OF THESE BUSES?
SEE: http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/stat_5.cfm
EMAIL REPORT FOR STATE OF NEW JERSEY
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DEFINITION OF SCHOOL BUS
BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
"School bus" means every motor vehicle operated by,
or under contract with, a public or governmental agency, or religious or other
charitable organization or corporation, or privately operated for compensation
for the transportation of children to or from school for secular or religious
education, which complies with the regulations of the Department of Education
affecting school buses, including "School Vehicle Type I" and
"School Vehicle Type II" as defined below:
"School Vehicle Type
I" means any vehicle with a seating capacity of 17 or more, used to transport
enrolled children, and adults only when serving as chaperones, to or from a
school, school connected activity, day camp, summer day camp, nursery school,
child care center, preschool center or other similar places of education. Such
vehicle shall comply with the regulations of the Division of Motor Vehicles
and either the Department of Education or the Department of Human Services,
whichever is the appropriate supervising agency.
"School Vehicle Type
II" means any vehicle with a seating capacity of 16 or less, used to transport
enrolled children, and adults only when serving as chaperones, to or from a
school, school connected activity, day camp, summer day camp, nursery school,
child care center, preschool center or other similar places of education. Such
vehicle shall comply with the regulations of the Division of Motor Vehicles
and either the Department of Education or the Department of Human Services,
whichever is the appropriate supervising agency.
ARE
SCHOOL VANS AS SAFE AS BUSES?
Take a look and form your own opinion:
Let me know what you think!
email me at elubo@aol.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, WE WORRY ABOUT HAVING TELEPHONE NUMBERS ON THE BACK OF THE BUSES, WORRY ABOUT SEAT BELTS, HOW ABOUT THE DRIVERS THAT USE THE CELLULAR TELEPHONES WHILE DRIVING?
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
Click Bus to enlarge
We will publish it on this
web page
I need your help, NOW!
HERE IS HOW TO HELP
Read this web page
Observe school bus driver habits
Spread the word about safety
Think of our children
Make posters and put them in store windows
E-mail me more ideas
Everytime you send an email type in: see: schoolbussafety.com
We need telephone numbers written on the back of school buses
Trucking companies are interested in how their drivers are doing--they have put phone numbers on the back of their trucks and ask, "How is my driving?" call "###-####" and they only carry boxes, cars, cattle, parts etc. NOT CHILDREN
School Buses need numbers Too!
Shouldn't we be interested in the bus drivers driving habits that drive our children around?
ARE YOU AWARE
Your local school buses may be leased buses from anywhere in the country. The buses your children are riding in may state LAIDLAW on the side. This is not the company contracted to transport your children, it is only a leasing bus company! There are many, many more!
Will Laidlaw Bus Co. put tel# on their buses? Ask them to, send them an email at:
THEY MAY BE THE FIRST
When they do, I will put a picture of their bus on this web page so the whole country will see that they are concerned about the childrens safety. As of April 11th they haven't done it yet.
DID YOU KNOW
Laidlaw Posts a Half-Billion Dollar Loss
see story next page
COME ON AMERICA
Don't put it off
Call your Board of Education
Call/write your legislator
Write your local newspaper
Spread the word
HEY!!
Don't run back into your hole----HELP ME! E-MAIL!
School Bus Safety links:
Remember before you Hit here --when you get there, type in area you are from, then school bus accidents, and up will come all school bus accidents in your area.
PLEASE!
If you have any other suggestions or thoughts on school bus safety!
WRITE TO ME
HIT SMILE TO
E-MAIL ME
Speak out America!
There have been visits by people concerned about school bus safety
This page was last updated October 12, 2003.
Please don't walk away,
,
I need your help!
This web site created by: Edward Lubowicki with help of Scott Nehoda
Our New Internet provider: urlurl.net for good service call John Williams at 732-843-3700
There is nobody I'd rather be than me. Ed. Lubowicki
