Safety

Our Commitment to Secure Transportation

Comprehensive Training and Rigorous Standards for Unparalleled Safety

Safety is our top priority, guiding every decision we make. We prioritize comprehensive training and ongoing improvement for drivers, technicians, and our entire team. Our rigorous standards exceed state requirements, ensuring the highest level of safety for our students and communities.

Safety Statistics

Employee Standards

All employees (monitors, dispatchers, technicians, staff) must successfully pass all pre-employment criminal background, sexual predator, and drug screenings.

Driver Standards

  • All drivers must be at least 21 years of age, and successfully pass all pre-employment criminal background, sexual predator, and drug screenings. No DUI convictions within the previous 10 years, and must meet company standards for a safe driving record.

  • School bus drivers must be able to obtain a Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements, meeting all Federal/Provincial/State Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards.

  • All drivers undergo company-specific training for safe driving, special needs, and student management, and pass a company-specific driver safety evaluation. All monitors undergo training for special needs and student management.

Vehicle Standards

School buses are required to meet higher construction, equipment, and inspection standards than any other vehicle on the road.

Safety Standards

  • Reflective high-visibility safety vests are required to provide additional protection to employees when working in parking lots, around vehicles, and in low-light situations.

  • Eye protection is required for all employees when in maintenance work areas to reduce the risk of injury.

  • Traction aids are required for all employees when working in icy conditions to reduce the risk of slip/fall injuries.

Van Safety

Federal regulations do not prohibit the use of vans by schools but require any van (with a capacity of more than 10 passengers) sold or leased for use as a school bus to meet the safety standards applicable to school buses.

Reduced Traffic

School buses keep an annual estimated 17.3 million cars off roads surrounding schools each day. The federal government considers school buses to be about 9 times safer than other passenger vehicles during the normal school commute.

Low Accident Rate

According to the National Safety Council, the national school average accident rate for the school bus industry is 0.01 per 100 million miles traveled, compared to 0.04 for trains, 0.06 for commercial aviation and 0.96 for other passenger vehicles.

High Mileage, Low Injuries

According to the Transportation Research Board, school buses represent 25% of all the miles traveled by students but account for less than 4% of the injuries.

Safe Transportation

According to a Department of Transportation study, the safety record for school bus transportation exceeds that of all other modes of travel.