Highway Special Investigation Report
Pupil Transportation in Vehicles Not Meeting Federal School Bus Standards
Highway Special Investigation Report
Pupil Transportation in Vehicles Not Meeting Federal School Bus
Standards
NTSB Number SIR-99/02
NTIS Number PB99-917003
PDF Document (764K)
Synopsis: This report contains the findings of a special
investigation conducted as a result of four fatal accidents involving nonconforming
buses used to transport school children. In the first accident, on March
25, 1998, three children were ejected when the passenger van transporting
them collided with a transit bus in Sweetwater, Florida. On March 26, 1998,
two people were fatally injured when the specialty bus transporting the
students collided with a truck tractor semitrailer in Lenoir City, Tennessee.
On December 8, 1998, one child was ejected and fatally injured when the
passenger van transporting them collided with a pickup truck in East Dublin,
Georgia. On February 16, 1999, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, three
children were ejected and six children were fatally injured when the passenger
van transporting them was struck by a tow truck.
From its investigation, the Safety Board identified safety issues in the following areas: the adequacy of occupant crash protection and crashworthiness of nonconforming buses used to transport school children, the adequacy of State regulations and guidelines governing nonconforming buses used to transport school children, and the adequacy of State laws governing the use of restraint systems in nonconforming buses transporting school children.