We constantly hear and read about safety when it comes to our family vehicle, but rarely do we hear or read about the safety of school buses.
The fact of the matter is there are a lot of old school buses out there that are emitting harmful pollutantsâwhich kids are inhaling. Congress and many states have sought to fix in recent years. In fact, in 2005 federal lawmakers passed a measure to replace or retrofit the dirtiest diesel engines across the nation...
Two types of filters are available to reduce the most dangerous emissions on older buses. The first being diesel particulate filters, which are installed in place of mufflers can reduce tailpipe emissions by at least 85 percent. This costs roughly $700. The second is a closed crankcase filtration system which can reduce engine soot by about 90 percent, and costs about $7,500. An older bus can be fitted with one or both filters.
Full story here.
Image: AP / LM Otero
Full story here.
Image: AP / LM Otero
jknop says:
05:28 AM, 05/15/07
safety ? what about seat belts.
estreka says:
08:25 AM, 05/15/07
I rode a school but for 11 years and I always thought the lack of seatbelts were the biggest problem. I can't imagine the hell the busdriver would have to undergo to ensure everyone was wearing one though.
I didn't know emissions were leaking into school buses. I suppose kids breathe them in while at the bus stop at school.
ateixeira says:
10:25 AM, 05/15/07
The seat backs are very tall, and the seats themselves are thickly padded.
Seat belts would certainly be better, but imagine how distracted a bus driver would be trying to get 30 screaming kids to buckle up. That might actually CAUSE the accident.
It might not be practical.
bbechtel16 says:
10:53 AM, 05/15/07
School bus safety!?! Yeah, I remember when I was in middle school, and I almost died from inhaling diesel exhaust from the school bus.....WTF?
carlisimo says:
12:43 PM, 05/15/07
Sadly, that's not the only unhealthy part of going to school that some districts can't afford to fix. But at least the emissions fix seems to be one of the most cost effective.
researchqueen says:
11:23 AM, 09/19/07
Check out Edmunds' new article, Should School Buses Have Seat Belts? (The answer's not as clear cut as it seems.)
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/122574/article.html