School Bus Safety

Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors October 2006
Revised and approved by the ACEP Board of Directors March 2000 titled, "School Bus Safety"Originally approved as a Board Motion April 1985 titled, "School Buses" 

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) supports a comprehensive school bus safety program.  Government regulators, investigators, manufacturers, and standards organizations should carefully consider the following:

• Improved testing and standards for school bus crash worthiness;
• Improved seating design and passenger compartmentalization that is effective and independent of a passenger's positioning or compliance with other safety equipment;
• Continued examination of the role of passenger-dependent personal restraint systems including safety belts;
• Improved school bus design that enhances visibility of  pedestrians in the proximate vicinity of the bus;
• Increased visibility of stopped school buses, especially when passengers are loading or unloading, including additional beacons, warning signs, and sound alarms mounted on all sides of the bus;
• Improved engineering at school bus stops, including permanent bus stops, shelters, and marked crosswalks at all stops;
• Crossing guards/patrol guards on all buses transporting primary school children;
• Simplified school bus safety laws with stricter enforcement and improved detection techniques; and
• Improved public education and driver awareness of school bus-related safety through re-testing at license renewal.