Industry News
"MAXIMUM FINE $530" Signs
School bus drivers in Manitoba continue to experience "don't pass law" violations - motorists who pass school buses that are stopped to load/unload children and which have their signal lights flashing. The maximum penalty for such a violation in Manitoba is a $530 fine and two demerits charged against the offender's driver's licence.
As of 2006, all school buses purchased through Manitoba's central tender process will come with this signage applied to the lower section of the left rear window. The sign (displayed above) is approximately 6" x 12" and printed on reflective, adhesive sheeting. Some school divisions have purchased these signs for other buses in their fleets. Contact PTU for further information.
Anchorages for Child Seat Restraints
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) 210.1 and 210.2 – Transport Canada amended CMVSS 210 to include a requirement for anchorages for child seat restraints (CRS) in school buses. This requirement became effective April 2007. The Standard was amended as follows:
- School buses up to 24 passenger capacity will require 2-CRS anchorage positions or 1-bench seat with 2-positions.
- School buses with 25 to 65 passenger capacity will require 4-CRS anchorage positions or 2-bench seats with 2-positions each.
- School buses with 66 passenger capacity or more will require 8-CRS anchorage positions or 4-bench seats with 2-positions each.
- The CRS school bus seats will need to be spaced at the maximum of 28 inches to accommodate most child car seats
- This Standard applies to new school bus vehicles only.
- All school busses will maintain the passive restraint system known as compartmentalization which requires high padded seat backs
Combating Don't Pass Law Violations
In addition to the Maximum Fine $530 signs displayed in the rear of some Manitoba school buses, two additional pilot programs are underway and aimed at combating the incidence of don't pass law violations:
L.E.D. Stop Arms - PTU and some Manitoba school divisions are examining the effectiveness of light emitting diode (LED) stop arms which flash the word STOP when extended. Initial reports from school bus drivers operating buses so equipped indicate that these stop arms are contributing to greater motorist alertness; hence, fewer don't pass law violations.
Transpec's Driver Alert Signs - Five school divisions in Manitoba are testing driver alert signs. This sign displays the words CAUTION, STOPPING when the amber pre-warning lights are activated and the words, STOP, DO NOT PASS when the red loading lights are activated. These signs also seem to be contributing to fewer don't pass law violations.
Strobe Lights on Manitoba School Buses
In 2000, a number of school divisions participated in a pilot project whereby they could install up to six school buses in their fleets with center, roof-mounted strobe lights. It was widely believed that strobe lights would increase the conspicuity of a school bus, thus making it a safer vehicle with which to transport children. Strobe light effectiveness would be monitored by gathering feedback from both school bus drivers and the motoring public.
The pilot project concluded in June 2002 with the predominant opinion emerging that strobe lights did, in fact, enhance the conspicuity of school bus vehicles. As a result, school divisions were given the option of equipping as many of their school buses with strobe lights as they deemed necessary.
The January 2003 Education Funding Announcement included $300,000 to assist in defraying the cost of installing strobe lights on school bus vehicles. The assistance came in the form of a one-time $150 per strobe light grant. By April 2004, the Government of Manitoba had paid $253,950 to school divisions, private schools, and school bus contractors to equip 1,693 school buses with strobe lights.
Because strobe light use on school buses is currently not a requirement under The Highway Traffic Act, special lighting permits are required for any school bus so equipped. Two year permits are available from Vehicle Standards and Inspections – a division of Manitoba Public Insurance. They can be reached at 204-985-0988.
Contact PTU for additional information on strobe lights.
Seat Belts on School Buses
Manitoba's position with regard to seat belts on school buses mirrors that of Transport Canada and the United States’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In the past number of years, these two organizations have conducted extensive testing with regard to seat belts on school buses. Each organization has concluded that “compartmentalization” is the safest concept for children riding school buses. Their conclusions were based on the following research and results…
School buses must accommodate physical sizes ranging from very young children to adults. In some cases, three children use one seat on one trip and two adults on another. Nor will children always use the same seat. This means that seat belts must be readjusted constantly, and their use monitored. Moreover, unused belts equipped with heavy buckles may pose other hazards. Seat belts are of benefit only if used, properly fitted, and correctly adjusted. Each of these factors poses supervisory problems beyond the scope of a busy driver with other responsibilities.
Faced with these difficulties, Transport Canada opted for standards requiring greater structural integrity, thus providing a stronger bus body, and for a form of passive protection by mandating stronger seats with higher backs and energy-absorbing padding.
This high padded seat back passive restraint system is know as “compartmentalization”. Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require all school buses to be designed with the compartmentalization concept. During the 1980’s, Transport Canada conducted a school bus collision test to determine the effectiveness of lap belts in school buses. Crash test dummies were located in a school bus - some secured with lap belts, others with no restraints. The school bus was crashed into a concrete abutment at 30 kilometers per hour. The results showed that the belted dummies sustained extremely high levels of injury to the head and neck area due to pivoting at the waist during the crash which caused the heads of the belted dummies to contact the seat backs located directly in front of them. These forces to the head were measured and considered fatal. The unbelted dummies, however, contacted the seat backs in front of them with their knees, arms, chest, shoulders, and heads thus spreading the contact area and lessening the forces to one particular point of the body. The information obtained from the crash test prompted Transport Canada to conclude that lap belts should not be used in school buses.
Seat belt use on school buses is addressed on Transport Canada’s website at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/bus/schoolbus/busbelts_e.htm.
In the United States, NHTSA also conducted lap and shoulder belt testing in school buses. The report concluded that while lap and shoulder belts provide additional occupant restraint in school buses, installation of the belts would decrease school bus passenger capacity by one-third. Since school buses are eight times safer that any other vehicle, NHTSA is reluctant to reduce current school bus ridership and expose more students to alternative, and less safe, means of transportation.
With this in mind, NHTSA’s position is to look at enhancing the compartmentalization concept by increasing seat back height and installing additional padding.
Seat belt use on school buses is addressed on NHTSA’s website at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/buses/busseatbelt/
