Buying a school bus that comes with a bounty of safety features will not only help school administrators to perform their tasks more efficient, but also offer the highest level of safety to kids and the peace of mind to their parents. School buses are constructed in a unique way that differs from other commercial buses to offer a high visibility to students and their parents.
They also come incorporated with many security features, including cross-view mirrors, flashing red lights, and stop-sign arms. They do come equipped with high crush standards, protective seating, and rollover safety features, as well, by keeping the safety of kids in mind.
Here are the 10 vital safety features that a school bus is supposed to have.
1. Airbags
Airbags play a vital part in offering better safety to kids traveling in a school bus. They could lessen in-bus wounds during the situation of side collisions. A school bus should come equipped with adequate number of airbags to prevent school students from getting wounds due to crashing into the bus sides during the occasion of a disastrous mishap.
2. Comfortable seats
Seating systems is another main feature to consider when comes to school bus security. Spacious and comfortable seats that come with the reclining feature will prevent students from falling down while they are traveling.
Moreover, seats that come equipped with the padded armrest will offer a comfortable grip to kids while the bus comes across bends, likewise, an adequately padded headrest will offer the necessary safety to their necks when they lie back.
These are the most essential features to protect kids in the event of a mishap. These advanced features include correcting their flexibility to keep them compartmentalized and at the same time offering a soft support to reduce neck or head trauma. This means that the interior of school buses protects kids without needing them to buckle up.
3. Shoulder and lap belts
Bus seats that come attached with shoulder and lap belts will offer better security to the school students. Every day kids start with a journey in a school bus between their home and school.
Therefore, every school bus should come equipped with safer seat belts to offer a firmer sitting position to kids while they are traveling. This will prevent them from falling front when the driver stops the bus suddenly. This will guarantee the safest journey for kids, as well.
4. Speed
As a school bus is boarded by both younger and grown-up kids, driving the bus with a reasonable speed ensures the maximum safety to the school students. By no means, the driver should go beyond the posted speed boundary. Slowing down the bus on icy or wet roads will prevent the bus from skidding, thereby, offering better security to kids inside the bus.
5. Tire Pressure
School administrators should check the pressure of the tires of their school buses regularly. They should inspect the bus tires and verify their pressure prior to each use. A bus’s tire, including the spare one, has to be inflated properly and the tread of tires should not be in a damaged condition.
Badly worn or inappropriately inflated tires can show the way to a vehicle control loss and may lead to a bus rollover. Pressure for the back and front tires should be different, and it should be higher than that of the car tires.
6. Spares
The school bus should always be equipped with adequate amount of vital spares to overcome any unforeseen break down. Sometimes, tires may be punctured or exploded, the radiator may experience a minor fault, or the bus may need some minor repairs to proceed further.
Having a spare tire in stock as well as some vital tools to fix minor problems will ensure the safety of school students that will make them reach their home and school on time.
7. Occupancy
The school buses should not be overloaded at any cost. It will not only make kids feel uncomfortable but the bus will be more susceptible to meet with accidents, as well. Driving the bus with the permitted load of students will allow drivers to have better control over their driving capability, thus, the safety of kids is ensured.
8. Cargo
If a school bus happens to be loaded with cargo, it should be positioned forward of the back axle. Overloading bus with excess cargo or placing the loads on its roof should be avoided at all cost to ensure the maximum safety to school students. School administrators are supposed to refer the owner manual for allowing the maximum weight of cargo and school students to decide the towing ability of school bus.
9. Size
Every school bus is supposed to come with sufficient space that should be wider than that of the usual commercial buses to maneuver easily. The bus should also come with extra dependence on the side-view mirrors intended for changing lanes.
10. School bus tracking apps
Installing the best school bus tracking software in every bus will not only aid school administrators to handle their everyday bus operations easily and safely. They will also offer the required security to students and the peace of mind to their parents in knowing that their kids are traveling safely in school bus.
Most apps come with GPS facility, as well, which allows school administrators as well as parents to track their school buses. Moreover, the notifications feature of these school bus tracking apps will send appropriate warnings to the school management and parents during emergencies.
Conclusion
It is a rapid-moving moment for school bus expertise, and many interesting thoughts are being put forward. School districts are supposed to be shrewd to have a constant watch on the technology trends. They should look for opportunities to develop their in-bus safety while the price drops by keeping the safety of school students in mind.