Skip to content
How is your school district implementing school bus safety procedures? Consideration should also be given to replacing hard trays with support surfaces made from dense foam during transportation.Much of the challenge to providing effective wheelchair securement and occupant restraint is due to the wide variety of wheelchair makes and models, many of which do not yet comply with WC19 and for which proper placement of seat belts is difficult. We appreciate your comments and feedback.School Bus Safety: Safeguarding Wheelchair-Bound Students Please validate that you are human. V.R.2.c.3 It takes 5-7 minutes to load a student in a wheelchair, if you are loading a student you load everyday. **Description** School Bus Driver in Training All interested applicants for a School Bus Driver position, anyone looking for a new career opportunity to experienced School Bus Drivers, begin with us as a Driver in Training.
However, even when transfer is feasible, it may not always be the safest option in the school bus environment.For example, if a student is using a WC19-compliant, crash-tested wheelchair that facilitates proper placement of vehicle-anchored seat belts, the student may actually be safer traveling in their wheelchair than sitting on a bus seat that’s not equipped with shoulder and pelvic belt restraints.For students who transfer to a school bus seat, safety can be enhanced beyond the level provided by compartmentalization through the use of crash-tested harnesses. These tips and guidelines for school bus wheelchair lift operation will ensure a student wheelchair user's safety at every point during transportation.BraunAbility offers quality ADA-compliant commercial wheelchair lifts, wheelchair vans, and ramps for entities that provide transportation services. August 1, 2008
Available at: WC-19 Voluntary Standard. The vehicle seat should be forward facing, equipped with dynamically tested occupant restraints, and provided for the vehicle at the point of manufacture. The school bus is the safest vehicle on the road—your child is much safer taking a bus to and from school than traveling by car.
Transportation staff who work with children with special needs can carry out their daily responsibilities when provided with documented training from a team of professionals, including therapists, nurses, and certified child passenger safety technicians that ensures consistent and proper restraint for children with special needs on school buses.The caregiver (family, guardian, foster parent) of a child with special needs should be informed of the importance of incorporating appropriate and safe transportation specifications in the child's IEP or IFSP.The caregiver of a child with special needs and the designated bus driver for the child's bus route should share information addressing the specific needs of the child transported before and during the school year. Any wheelchair or stroller-type unit designed and approved by a manufacturer for transportation must be used according to manufacturer's instructions.Wheelchairs should be secured with fastening devices that are attached to the floor. The teacher should always accompany students to the bus loading area and wait with them until they are safely on the bus.Safely loading students onto a school bus begins even before the wheelchair lift is engaged.
This assistance should be included where appropriate in the child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) or the family's Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).School transportation staff should participate in the development of the transportation portion of the IEP or IFSP for children who may need special transportation requirements and medical procedures.School bus transportation staff should have annual access to training programs and resource material in special needs transportation to ensure that they can provide the most current and proper support to children with special transportation requirements. A little over 13% of students have some form of disability, and around There are a number of rules pertaining to school buses as part of ADA rules. Therefore, the operator may decline to provide service to a rider who refuses to allow his or her wheelchair to be secured. Permanent marking of team-selected securement points on non-compliant wheelchairs will make it much easier for drivers to properly and consistently secure different wheelchairs.Serving Corporate, Executive, & Financial Managers Of Large Commercial FleetsServing Leaders In Fleet Mobility & Emerging TechnologyServing Medium & Heavy Duty Commercial Truck ProfessionalsServing Transit Bus, Private Motorcoach, & Passenger Rail ProfessionalsServing School & Pupil Transportation Fleet Professionals
Be sure to return and secure the lift in its “travel” position so it’s out of the way.Next, you need to ensure that students are secured for the ride to school. Guidelines that apply to general school transportation should be followed, including the training of staff, provision of nurses or aides if needed, establishment of a written emergency evacuation plan, and a comprehensive infection control program.Research provides the basis for recommendations concerning occupant securement for children in wheelchairs and children with other special needs who are transported on a school bus. Children and adults who are in the recommended categories should receive yearly influenza immunization.The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages states to address and support the transportation requirements of children with special needs. Standards Australia Amendment No. Here are eight key school bus wheelchair lift safety tips:Once the wheelchair is secured on the lift, it’s time to raise the student onto the bus.