User talk:Vaoverland/archivebussafety

NOTE: This page is an article that was deleted from Wikipedia as too controversial in August, 2005.

Church bus and school bus safety issues have always been closely-related in the United States. On May 14, 1988, a tragedy brought the issues together as never before.

The Bus accident at Carrollton, Kentucky in 1988 was one of the worst bus accidents in United States history. 27 people including the bus driver were killed and 34 other bus passengers sustained minor to critical injuries. Only 6 bus passengers were not injured.

Many factors came together in tragedy that terrible night. A tired, volunteer driver operating a flawed and over-crowded church bus had to face a drunk driver coming up the Interstate the wrong way. While the immediate cause was the drunk driver of the other vehicle, it was soon realized that all of the deaths on the bus and most of the injuries occurred not due to injuries received during the impact of the collision, but because the bus caught fire and the occupants could not evacuate promptly after the impact. As the country reacted in shock and horror, it also became clear that the church group, their bus driver and church had violated no federal, state, or local law, regulation, nor any applicable safety standards. And yet, this tragedy occurred. The public and media outcry of "How could this happen?" soon turned into an echoing "We must prevent such in the future."

Because so many things went wrong that night, studying the accident and the aftermath has become an opportunity for many professionals and the public to learn a great deal about the importance of many aspects of bus equipment and bus operations.

After reviewing and identifying some areas of safety concerns, this article also includes some tips and guidelines for non-school organizations such as churches in the selection and operation of passenger vehicles such as vans and buses.

Bus Accident at Carollton Kentucky in 1988
Note: This article is a companion to an article on the accident event itself. This article is focused on safety issues raised in the aftermath of the Bus accident at Carrollton, Kentucky in 1988, well as identify ongoing concerns.

Because so many things went wrong, studying the accident and the aftermath became an opportunity to learn a great deal about the importance of many aspects of bus equipment and bus operations.

At the time, it was realized by investigators and others that many things needed action to help prevent or at least reduce the possibility of such a accident happening again. A contributing factor to the accident itself and the severity were unintentional loopholes between the laws and procedures for a school bus and those involving the same vehicle after it became a church bus. The church bus had been originally built and served as a school bus. If it had been built new as a church bus, additional emergency exits would have been required. But the often tougher school bus standards were weaker in the area of emergency exits than the standards for a non-school bus.

Thirty years earlier, in 1958, Kentucky had experienced a tragedy related to exiting a school bus in the Prestonsburg School Bus Crash which also resulted in 27 fatalities. At the time of the 1988 accident, which coincidentally also cost 27 lives, the news media was unrelenting in providing coverage and followup stories. The Courier-Journal of Louisville received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting for its coverage.

The 1988 accident resulted in a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation and report, as well as extensive media coverage and considerable litigation. Subsequently, many federal, state, and local agencies and bus manufacturers changed regulations, vehicle features, and operating practices.

The drunk driver went to prison. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (M.A.D.D.) a grassroots organization, worked diligently before and after the Carollton accident to reduce the hazards created by drunk (or drinking) drivers. The mother of one of the Carollton victims became national president of M.A.D.D.

Many of the hundreds of individuals who were involved in aspects of this accident and the aftermath hope that their individual and joint work will contribute to making sure that such a combination of human and vehicle flaws will never result in another tragedy of this magnitude. Yet even today, over 16 years later, some also feel that it is important to revisit the issues, especially some aspects which could still occur again.

NTSB report
The National Transportation Safety Board determined "the probable cause of the collision between the pickup truck and the church activity bus was the alcohol-impaired condition of the pickup truck driver who, operated his vehicle opposite to the direction of traffic flow on an interstate highway."

"Contributing to the severity of the accident was the puncture of the bus fuel tank and ensuing fire in the bus, the partial blockage by the rear bench seats of the area leading to the rear emergency door which impeded rapid passenger egress, and the flammability of the materials in the bus seat cushions."

"The safety issues discussed in the report include:


 * effects of alcohol on driver performance,
 * effectiveness of driving-under-the-influence program in Kentucky,
 * current Federal standards used in school bus manufacture,
 * flammability and toxicity of school bus seating materials,
 * emergency egress on school buses, and
 * fuel system integrity of school buses"


 * NTSB REPORT HAR-89-01
 * Title: Pickup Truck/Church Activity Bus Head-on Collision and Fire Near *Carrollton, Kentucky May 14, 1988.
 * NTSB Report Number: HAR-89-01, adopted on 3/28/1989
 * NTIS Report Number: PB89-916201

One drunk driver
Larry Mahoney was driving his black Toyota pickup truck down Interstate 71 the wrong way while intoxicated that terrible night when he hit the fatal bus head-on. He was a repeat drunk-driving offender. He survived, sustaining only minor injuries. His blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .24 percent-substantially more than the legal limit in Kentucky. Mahoney had no memory of the crash, and learned of what he had done after waking up in the hospital the next day. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a Carroll County jury convicted him of 27 counts of second-degree manslaughter, 16 counts of second-degree assault and 27 counts of wanton endangerment. In prison, he participated in some Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous programs. Because of good behavior as a model prisoner, Mahoney served 10 years and 11 months before leaving the prison in 1999.

I feel a little bit sorry for him, Katrina Henderson, then 23, told the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1998. ''He didn't wake up one day and say 'I'm going to kill 27 people.' That's not to take any blame away from him. I think that he is a person who made some very bad choices and he paid for those choices,'' said Henderson, who was 12 when she survived the wreck.

According to a newspaper story, in 2003, Mahoney was living in quiet, self-imposed obscurity in rural Kentucky, about ten miles from the spot where he took 27 lives in the nation's worst drunken-driving accident.

Mahoney was punished, and of course, his life and many others were harmed irreparably. Many victims and families of the 1988 crash turned their energies to the prevention of future encounters with drinking drivers.

Drunk Driving Prevention: M.A.D.D.
The accident riveted the nation's attention on the problem of drunken driving like never before and has been credited in part with causing the steady decline in the number of alcohol-related fatalities.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (M.A.D.D.) a grassroots organization, has worked diligently before and after the Carollton accident to reduce the hazards created by drunk (or drinking) drivers. It has grown to over 600 local chapters.

One of the victims, the youngest killed in the fatal bus, was Patricia "Patty" Susan Nunnallee who was ten years old. Patty's mother, Karolyn Nunnallee became an active member of MADD after the crash, eventually becoming MADD's national president. Patty's mother wrote They were traveling on a school bus, so I thought she'd be safe.

Janey Fair, whose 14 year old daughter Shannon was another victim killed, become a national lobbyist for MADD. She has said the Carrollton tragedy illustrated how everyone is vulnerable to the crime of drunken driving.

Two families were hit especially hard, and become involved in MADD in several ways. Joy Williams, wife of Lee Williams, a pastor of the church, and their two young daughters, Kristen and Robin, were among those killed in the Kentucky Bus Crash. Dotty Pearman's husband, John Pearman was associate pastor at the church and the bus driver, was also was killed while their daughter, Christy, was involved in the crash and survived.

In the year after the crash, Lee Williams and Dotty Pearman, who barely knew each other before the crash, became friends, sharing stories of their lost loved ones, laughter, tears and a love of God. The couple fell in love and seven months later, on July 8, 1989, they married.

Lee and Dotty Williams also are busy volunteers for MADD. Lee is a former chapter president of MADD, Hardin County, and Dotty is the current president. The couple often speaks to school groups, assists with health fairs and participates in other local events. "If I can persuade one person not to drink and drive, I've won," said Dotty. "I especially think it is important to educate children early on about the dangers of drinking and driving. We need to address the issue of alcohol with youth before it becomes a problem."

Changes in Kentucky
Kentucky now requires all school buses to have nine emergency exits -- more than any other federal and state standards. That means front and back doors, a side door, four emergency windows and two roof exits. The bus that crashed at Carrollton had only front and back exits.

Buses used by Kentucky schools must also have a cage around the fuel tank, a stronger frame and roof to resist crumpling on impact and rollover, high-backed seats, extra seat padding, a fuel system that slows leaks, flame-retardant seats and floors, reflective tape on all emergency exits, and strobe lights on the exterior. Schools also must have a diesel-powered fleet.

MADD officials have expressed frustration that Kentucky's laws involving drinking and driving have not been as progressive as in many other states.

Other contributing factors which may still not be adequately addressed
The NTSB report was very comprehensive, and subsequently, many federal, state, and local agencies and bus manufacturers changed regulations, vehicle features, and operating practices. Drunk driving laws and public education have both increased public awareness and statistics indicate that these efforts are helping reduce accidents involving drinking and driving.

Some additional contributing factors surfaced during the aftermath, which included extensive litigation. It is possible that the individuals contributing to the NTSB report may have not emphasized some of these due to their sensitivities to the church involved and the families of victims. Other information only came to attention of some industry professionals during the ligation and was not published due to terms of the out-of-court settlement.

In the opinion of some bus safety professionals, in addition to carefully considering the NTSB report and its recommendations, these items deserve even more consideration for bus safety in the future:

FMVSS School Bus Safety Standards and church buses
The church bus involved in the Carollton tragedy had been a public school bus in Kentucky. The First Assembly of God in Radcliff, Kentucky had bought the bus as surplus property from Meade County Public Schools.

The 1977 model Ford Motor Company B-700 school bus had been built at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant on March 23, 1977. It was equipped with a Superior Coach Company body (by Sheller Globe Corporation) which was completed on June 26, 1977.

Because the chassis was completed 8 days before the April 1, 1977 effective date of important U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for school buses, it did not have to meet fuel integrity standards, nor the exit standards of non-school buses at the time it was built. It was what the school bus industry has come to call a pre-DOT school bus.

Even today, most school bus safety standards do not apply to a vehicle built new as a church bus. However, many other standards for non-school buses do apply to such a bus when built.

Those words, when built, became tragically important to many people after May 14, 1988.

Although most school districts and school bus contractors in the United States now use buses built after the April 1, 1977 standards went into effect, there are many pre-DOT former school buses in use and/or for sale.

Bus fuel tank integrity
The bus in the 1988 accident was not built to meet school bus fuel integrity standards as would have applied if the chassis had been produced only eight days later.

The right front of the pickup truck hit the right front of the bus, breaking off the bus&#8217;s suspension and driving the leaf spring backward into the gas tank mounted outside the frame, just behind the front door. The leaf spring speared the sixty-gallon tank, which had just been filled just ten minutes earlier, punching a two and a half-inch hole in it. The gas tank caught fire.

SUMMARY: Even today, a new church bus will not necessarily be required to meet the tougher school bus fuel integrity standards. If ordering a new church bus, consider ordering a bus required to meet all federal school bus safety standards. (More on this later in the article)

Bus seating capacity and emergency exits
The 1977 pre-DOT Superior body had 22 rows of 39" seats. With the driver, it had a legal capacity of 67 persons, which is exactly how many were on-board.

However, the rated capacity of 66 passengers and a driver doesn't address passengers who are larger than elementary school children. On the fatal bus, most passengers were teenagers and adults. The average age of the children on the bus was 14.

The 39" seating provided what the industry calls "rump room" of 13" for each of three children on a 39" seat with no wasted space between them and only 12" left for an aisle down the middle. To some in retrospect, it seems to some industry professionals to be nothing less than a miracle (within the tragedy) that 40 people managed to escape.

At a practical level, no more than 44 passengers consisting of teenagers and adults could have been been seated on the fatal bus without partially blocking the aisle. At the rear of the bus, there was potentially only a 12" maximum clear width to the emergency door, whose controls were partially behind rear seats. With no roof hatches, or emergency exit windows, when the main front passenger loading door was blocked by the collision damage and ensuing fire, the rear door was the only practical potential safe way out for the 67 occupants. Yet, no laws were broken in this respect.

School bus regulations have been changed to require roof hatches, emergency exit windows, and a wider space to reach the emergency door and its controls. Comments at the time included concerns that children would mischievously open emergency exit windows and fall out. It is hoped my many school transportation professionals that today's children are better educated on safety issues, so that they may safely evacuate when necessary without accidentally falling out of a school or church bus.

SUMMARY: Even today, since the maximum rated-seating capacity for many school buses envisions very small passengers (with a 13" or less average rump), the practical and legal responsibility for not overloading buses unsafely lies with those operating the bus.

Driver standards: regulations should be supplemented with prudence
The volunteer church bus driver who lost his life at Carollton that terrible night, had driven from the church to Cincinnati, participated in the days' activities at King's Island with his group, and had been driving back to wards home one hour when the accident occurred.

It is believed he had not had any sleep or rest between the two legs of the trip, as would today be required of a CDL licensed bus driver under federal hours-of-service rules.

Before the collision, there were no indications of poor driving. The bus driver appeared to be alert. He acted heroically immediately after the impact to attempt to put out the fire and help his passengers to escape, which cost him his own life.

No one will ever know if the bus driver may have somehow been able to avoid collision or reduce the scope of the aftermath had he met today's professional standards, especially the requirement under hours-service rules. Without faulting the individual who was driving, it is fair to say it is possible that greater alertness and defensive driving may have helped.

A major safety organization, J.J. Keller Company offers a summary of Federal Hours-Of-Service rules and regulations

SUMMARY: Even though church buses and those operated by other non-school and non-commercial organizations may not be fully covered by regulations, it would be prudent for their drivers to follow the commercial standards. Providing adequate rest and lodging and replacement drivers seem to be in some conflict with the principle of economy with precious and limited funds for some of these organizations. It shouldn't be. Obtain, read, and follow the commercial bus driver regulations.

Passenger Education and Evacuation
It was tragically clear that many of the passengers on the fatal bus in the Carollton accident had trouble getting out of the bus after the impact. Few if any died as a direct result injuries resulting from the collision impact. Instead, most died of smoke inhalation and burns in the aftermath. Investigators heard terrible stories from survivors of trying to find a safe way out after the collision in a dark, smoking, and overcrowded bus which was on fire.

It is unknown if the group had held an evacuation drill or how many of the occupants may have previously had any training in bus evacuation procedures. Some states require drills for school buses. Commercial bus drivers are supposed to make an announcement pointing out emergency exits (such as flight crews are required to do on commercial airliners). Professional realize that not everyone pays attention to these announcements, but they do have an impact on safety. In example, survey indicate that the majority of ow many airline passengers know that their seat cushion may become a flotation device.

SUMMARY: All organizations and drivers of buses should make sure your passengers known how to evacuate. Even if your operation is not under a mandate, hold evacuation drills anyway. It is not as scary to jump out an emergency door once you have done it, and others learn to help during drills. If the educators or other leaders resist this idea, remind them that a school bus is just as much a fire hazard as a school, church, or other place where large groups gather, and maybe even harder to evacuate.

Seat belts on buses: an issue not easily resolved
Very few larger school buses and non-school buses in the United States have seat belts, a standard safety feature in cars and light duty passenger vehicles. The lack of them on school buses on first impression is considered illogical to many people. One legitimate argument in the on-going debate is that children should develop a habit of wearing seat belts. However, upon closer look, seat belts may have serious drawbacks on school buses.

Some very responsible organization feel that lap belts are not a net benefit to safety on large school buses. In 1977, as provided in FMVSS Standard 222, the Federal government required passive restraint and structural integrity standards for school buses in lieu of requiring lap seat belts.

In the 1980s, some districts in the US tried installing lap belts and then later removed them, claiming operational and passenger behavior problems outweighed any safety benefit. In Virginia, some practical considerations identified by 2 large school districts were:


 * a sole driver on the bus cannot be reasonably expected to require use
 * the current belts must be readjusted to handle as many as 8 loads of elementary, middle, and high school pupils each school day
 * they were found to be a handy and potent weapon during passenger conflicts

Whether lap belts should be required in large school buses remains very controversial, although they are now required in at least 3 states (New York, New Jersey, and Florida).

Testing was underway in 2004 by manufacturers to develop special seating and restraint systems which would include the upper body. Such a system would provide better functional benefits than that afforded by lap seat belts. Evacuation and use are also important considerations.

SUMMARY: Lap seat belts may not enhance safety on buses A suggestion is that when someone is pushing for lap seat belts on your bus, it is a good time to bring up the need for a second adult on board school buses. Both are economic and safety issues not easily resolved. Keep any eye on industry developments and be ready to change your practices.

Selecting a church bus or van
The church which bought the fatal bus in the Carollton Kentucky accident did not have the resources and expertise of the original owner, which was a public school district. No one has suggested that school districts become involved in spending public funds on churches, and churches surely would agree on issues of separation of church and state in the United States.

One experienced bus dealer states I personally have never had a church official who was offended when gently reminded that churches may have a tendency to trust in the Lord too much on common sense and bus safety.

In the following sections of this article, it is assumed that churches have dedicated persons who know that they have both fiduciary and safety responsibilities to balance regarding church bus transportation. These will sometimes appear to be in conflict, and to a very real extent, they are. It is important to be aware that churches and non-profit organizations are generally uniquely challenged to balance the comfort and appearance of a bus, to use of precious and limited funds, and safety issues.

If you are a person with these responsibilities, you are urged to consider these issues in the reverse order from the way they were presented in the previous paragraph. The priorities in a responsible order should be:

1. safety issues 2. comfort and appearance of a bus 3. use of precious and limited funds

Becoming knowledgeable about passenger vans, buses, and school buses and the safety issues involving them will help. It is a sad fact that safety issues do not always come to attention until after a tragedy. A brief study of the 1988 Carollton Tragedy alone should properly motivate anyone with doubts of these priorities. Hopefully a functional church "bus or transportation committee" with more than one dedicated individual can be formed to make sure no one person (perhaps overworked and overloaded with responsibilities) fails in this important activity.

While the terms "church" and "church bus" are used in this article, most of the content would also appropriately apply to other non-profit organizations who may operate buses or vans, or plan to in the future.

Advice to buyers from Church Business News
Here is what one article in Church Business News had to say about selecting a former school bus:

"...although church vehicles do not face the same scrutiny as their traditional school bus counterparts, when it comes to buying a van to transport children or youth, Sheli Burns of Arizona Bus Sales says that meeting FMVSS standards is the way to go.

The safest means is to buy a vehicle that has been designed with safety in mind, which meets all FMVSS for school buses, Burns says. These vehicles have been tested for both rollover and side impact. (They are constructed with a safety cage for added strength.) ''School bus travel is one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States. And just because it's built with school bus safety in mind, it doesn't mean it has to be a yellow school bus--but it would have the protection of one.''"

Suggestion to sellers of used school buses
If the seller is the organization operating a school bus, a good suggestion is that they try to think of the surplus buses much as one would when giving a pet up for adoption. Whether you will miss an old friend, breathe a sigh of relief when the oldster is retired from daily or substitute use and finally leaves, or both, you probably know it and how to care for it and operate it safely very well.

Promoting bus safety is a worthy goal. When you surplus a school bus, especially to an organization such as a non-profit or church, help them with advice and documents safety and maintenance aspects. You could make a copy of your records and school bus safety procedures. If you are not handling to physical transition to a new owner, place this stuff important and put in the bus as securely as you can reasonably accomplish.

Good used bus dealers can usually obtain the same information and share it.

Both types of seller should share this link Bus accident Carrollton, Kentucky May 14, 1988 and a copy of the NTSB report or the link to it at NTSB report on Carollton, Kentucky bus crash May 14, 1988. One experienced used bus dealer requests of his counterparts: "Please, ask your church and non-profit customers to help make sure that the history at Carollton Kentucky does not repeat itself, and do your part in memory of these lost lives and the many other victims."

A responsible used bus seller may also want to provide a new owner with a list of links which are available at the conclusion of this article.

Selecting a used vehicle to become a church bus
Because there is an abundance of serviceable former school buses in the United States, many used buses are available to become church buses. For cost, availability, and safety reasons, these vehicles are probably the safest place to begin the selection of a good used church bus for most situations.

Van/bus selection and procurement tips
Here are some vehicle selection and procurement tips:

1. Consider avoiding certain vehicle types known to be troublesome and/or dangerous in church use. This is especially true for passenger vans (many of those with no more than 4 wheels). a. 15 passenger vans have been identified as especially hazardous in some applications. Many churches operate 15 passengers vans and seem to be unaware or do not take seriously the safety hazards involving them.

Terrible and tragic accidents with 15 passenger vans operated by churches (and others) have occurred at frequent intervals. The bigger dangers are at highway speeds with vehicles occupied at or even beyond 14 passengers and a driver. Some automobile liability insurance carriers will decline to cover or renew coverage on these vehicles. Some others may insist that the last seat be removed, which reduces the hazards.

b. Here is a link you should check if you either operate or are considering purchasing or leasing a 15 passenger van: U.S. DOT Warning Advisory on 15 Passenger Van Safety Issues

c. Be aware that city transit and commuter buses, as well as intercity buses (also known as motorcoaches) are generally much heavier and more complicated vehicles than a typical school bus.

It is possible to safely own and operate this type of bus. Some churches do. However, to do so safely, these types of buses require even greater skills to drive and maintain than school buses. Additionally, the higher costs of maintenance should also be a major consideration before acquiring a vehicle of this type. These alone may be the easiest way to realize that such a vehicle may not make a good bus for your church.

2. Be aware of vehicle donations as a temptation to modify your church bus plans. A donation of a unsuitable vehicle should only be accepted if you intend to resell it without operating it.

3. Learn what a school bus is legally, and the difference in safety features from other passengers vehicles.

4. You will probably realize that a prudent course of action would usually be to choose a vehicle which was originally built and certified as a school bus. This will begin your church bus selection and operation off to a very good start from the safety aspect. School buses are usually practical vehicles, and generally will cost a lot less to operate and maintain than many other types of buses. This consideration may help address the fiduciary concerns (the trust and stewardship inherent when you are in charge of someone else's money).

5. A potential problem in vehicle selection is that a vehicle originally constructed and certified as a "school bus" may have smaller windows and less luxurious seating than a bus originally intended for non-school use. This is a safety trade-off which a prudent non-school organization should consider carefully. If a former school bus is sought, read over the suggestions to sellers above, and try to obtain the desired results.

6. If buying second-hand, always use common sense when buying any used vehicle, and consider who has owned it, how it was maintained, availability of records, and whether it is appropriate for your intended use.

7. Select a used school bus which has a certification label indicating 1). it was built as a "School Bus," rather than a non-school passenger bus, multi-use vehicle, etc. 2). both portion were built after April 1, 1977, when many new safety standard were applied. this is an excellent starting point.

If you cannot find the certification label and satisfy yourself that it meets these criteria, do not buy it.

If you have concluded you desire a school bus vehicle, do not accept anything less.

8. Check for recalls and safety advisories. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the Federal government agency responsible for assuring the safety of vehicles traveling the public roadways. NHTSA performs this responsibility, in part, by monitoring the performance of safety recall campaigns conducted by manufacturers to remedy a safety defect or noncompliance condition. Have your bus year make and model of both the chassis and the body and VIN available, and go to this link:

9. Get the records and any available advice. At a practical and reasonable level, some records, operating, and maintenance experience and practical advise could and should be shared for a good used church bus procurement.

10. Select a seller who is willing to meet the "Suggestions for sellers of used school buses" listed above in this article. Follow the guidelines throughout your purchasing project, and require the stated criteria.

Even if you are located in a small and remote community, it is a fact that there are plenty of good used school buses, and responsible sellers (owners and dealers). You may have to travel a little or make some calls to find the right seller and bus for your church. Here are several resources:


 * Google Directory of Bus Dealers
 * The Bus Spot and School Bus Yard site

Most new bus manufacturers have well-established dealer organizations, and most of these dealers handles used buses. These manufacturers provide a list of dealerships nationwide:


 * Blue Bird Corporation official website
 * IC Corporation official website, maker of International School Buses (successor to International Harvester, Navistar, International, Ward Body Company, and AmTran)
 * Thomas Built Buses, Inc. official website (successor to Perley A. Thomas Car Works)

Many bus dealers have tremendous resources and a good history of helping church bus customers. Ask your neighboring churches for references. A good comprehensive listing is available at this link:


 * STN Online School Bus Industry Links

You may also want to look at several examples of the more experienced and reputable bus dealers: In summary, you can find a good reputable dealer or a school district or other owner-seller. It is very important to do so.
 * Sonny Merryman, Inc. Bus Dealer in Virginia and Maryland
 * Wolfington Body Company, multiple locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
 * American Bus Sales in Cincinnati, Ohio
 * Carpenter Bus Sales, Franklin Tennessee this dealership located near Nashville, TN outlived one of its manufacturers, (Carpenter).

Church van/bus operations
Here are some suggestions to improve the safety of church van/bus operations.

Determine a reasonable and safe scope of operations
If the church bus is to be used for local and some limited long-distance travel, your church should seriously consider using chartered commercial buses by licensed providers with a good safety record for the longer trips instead of your church bus.

This will probably seem more expensive, but it will bring a wide range of safety protection to your trip. Again, this is a safety trade-off a prudent church should consider carefully.

Limiting the operating range of your church bus to your local and perhaps regional area as a policy may make it seem more practical to use a more spartan former "school bus" over a more luxurious non-school bus when selecting your vehicle. Some churches have defined their operating range limits as 2 hours or less traveling time. Of course, this may vary from area to area, and should consider geographical and road conditions, the mechanical condition of your individual church bus at any point in time, and your driver resources.

Public records are available for motor carriers in the United Sates at this link:. Be sure to check safety and insurance items for any potential bus company you may consider. The largest trade organization, United Motorcoach Association, offers many good suggestions to help in selecting a bus service provider at this link:.

Maintaining your church bus
Try hard to find someone qualified to inspect and maintain school buses. Some public school bus mechanics will moonlight or even donate services. Establish a formal maintenance program. Follow it, and keep good records.

Consider life cycle of bus and reevaluate annually
All vehicles have a finite life cycle. A used vehicle will usually not last as long as a new one, but both will last longer if properly maintained.

Plan to reevaluate the condition of your church bus at least annually, and be practical about a reasonable lifespan for your purposes. Learn a lesson here from commercial bus companies who know that they must repair or replace a bus before it breaks down with passengers.

Bus drivers: have a policy and program in place
It is estimated that there are 450,000 school buses on the road each school days, and thousands of transit and intercity buses. The U.S. Department of Labor has some good information about these bus drivers for you to consider.

1. Seek experienced drivers. Currently employed school and commercial bus drivers may belong to your church. These individuals may be willing to drive, or at least help you with your safety program.

2. Establish written driver standards for your church. Try to follow the commercial and school bus driver standards applicable in your community. Your local school district people or Department of Motor Vehicles staff will probably be happy to help you.

3. Limit the number of bus drivers and monitor them impartially

Whoever serves as your driver, the church should obtain an MVR (driving record) from your Department of Motor Vehicles for each individual, ideally twice a year. When received, the MVR should be reviewed by someone who understands the codes and terminology. Look for current licensing, accidents and traffic violations. Your motor vehicle liability insurance provider may be a good source of help with this, but make sure it is done at regular intervals. It is best to not delegate this duty to outside entities. if you do, insist on copy for the church records, and keep it.

It is important to realize that it is generally harder to oversee a volunteer, especially a likable and giving individual, than an employee. You must place safety first.

4. Get additional bus driver training. The National Safety Council offers courses in Defensive Driving and some special ones tailored to commercial drivers are available in many communities. More information is available at this link: National Safety Council

5. Ask for advice from qualified sources and accept it. One bus dealer with over 30 years of experience when reviewing the Carollton Kentucky Bus Tragedy of 1988 commented "We know that it is dangerous to load teenagers and adults to a maximum seating capacity intended for elementary children. I have often asked myself whether church officials have the same understanding?" It is likely that other school transportation officials will have the same attitude and be willing to give good and practical advice.

6. Make sure your passengers known how to evacuate. Some states require drills. Even if your operation is not under a mandate, do it anyway. If the educators resist you, remind them that a school bus is just as much a fire hazard as a school, and maybe even harder to evacuate.

7. If anyone should question the wisdom of putting safety first in church bus operations, or challenge any church bus safety issue unreasonably, share the tragic story of the church bus at Carollton Kentucky on the night of May 14, 1988. This must not be allowed to happen again.

Books
Kuen, James S. (1994) Reckless Disregard: Corporate Greed, Government Indifference, and the Kentucky School Bus Crash, Simon & Schuster: New York, NY, U.S.A. (ISN 0671705334) This is in the words of one article and review in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper ''a stunning indictment of a system that measures life in cost-benefit ratios. There is ample documentation to back up his charges of greed and indifference. He also delivers a remarkably readable account of the tragic crash, the regulation of school bus safety (or more precisely the lack thereof) and the lengthy civil proceedings.''

Internet Sources
Many of the Internet links listed in this Wikipedia article, both above and below under External Links were used as references in this article.

Federal Agencies
Bureau of Census, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Bureau of Transportation Statistics Code of Federal Regulations Congressional Record Federal Highway Administration Federal Railroad Administration Federal Register Federal Transit Administration Fedworld Library of Congress National Highway Traffic Safety Administration National Institute of Standards and Technology National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Transportation Safety Board The White House Thomas (Congress) Legislative Information US Code US Department of Education US Department of Energy US Department of Health and Human Services US Department of Transportation US House of Representatives US Senate