National Transportation Safety Board Highway Special Investigation Report: Pupil211 Transportation in Vehicles not Meeting Federal School Bus Standards

摘要

This report contains the findings of a special investigation conducted as a211u001eresult of four fatal accidents involving nonconforming buses used to transport 211u001eschool children. In the first accident, on March 25, 1998, three children were 211u001eejected when the passenger van transporting them collided with a transit bus in 211u001eSweetwater, Florida. On March 26, 1998, two people were fatally injured when the 211u001especialty bus transporting the students collided with a truck tractor semitrailer 211u001ein Lenoir City, Tennessee. On December 8, 1998, one child was ejected and fatally 211u001einjured when the passenger van transporting them collided with a pickup truck in 211u001eEast Dublin, Georgia. On February 16, 1999, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, 211u001ethree children were ejected and six children were fatally injured when the 211u001epassenger van transporting them was struck by a tow truck. From its 211u001einvestigation, the Safety Board identified safety issues in the following areas: 211u001ethe adequacy of occupant crash protection and crashworthiness of nonconforming 211u001ebuses used to transport school children, the adequacy of State regulations and 211u001eguidelines governing nonconforming buses used to transport school children, and 211u001ethe adequacy of State laws governing the use of restraint systems in 211u001enonconforming buses transporting school children.