Page 20 - The Edge - Summer 2017

SPRING PRE-CONFERENCE WRAPUP

By Don Harris

Expert Tells How School Bus Drivers Can

Deal with Distractions, Emergencies

Ernie Meza
School bus drivers face myriad distractions every day, any of which When it comes to distracted driving, the biggest distractions leading
could result in an emergency situation. to collisions are: other drivers, construction zones, and reaching for
Administrators and supervisors who attended AASBO’s Spring Pre- objects.
Conference sessions on transportation April 5 were provided with tips Drivers should know that their cell phone on the bus needs to
on how their drivers can cope with these spur-of-the-moment events. be silent, Arbaugh said. She told of an incident where a driver had
Stephanie Arbaugh, Loss Control Consultant for The Trust, covered dropped off all the students, had a 10-minute break, and pulled over
emergency situations and distracted driving in back-to-back breakout to a safe place. The driver then used her cell phone to call family and
sessions. She emphasized that her presentations were primarily for friends.
supervisors and administrators. “The driver did this every morning,” Arbaugh said, “but a gal in the
Driving emergencies may involve weather conditions, a large-scale neighborhood didn’t like the big yellow in her neighborhood. She took
catastrophic event, field trips, a driver’s physical emergency, and an pictures of the driver in her seat on the phone. DPS had to suspend her
extreme distraction, which Arbaugh described as “something beyond a license. She should get off the bus, away from the driver’s seat, take the
cranky student.” keys with her after turning off the bus, and have her conversation away
Arbaugh recommended having a place for drivers to practice from the bus.”
recovering from a skid. Another situation drivers need to be aware of The bus is considered “in operation” from the pre-trip inspection
is downed power lines. “It’s big, but often drivers don’t remember what until the post-trip inspection.
to do,” Arbaugh said. “Blinding headlights – is that an emergency or an Factors involving distractions inside the bus include interacting
irritation? It can be an emergency. Being stalled on railroad tracks – that with other occupants and adjusting audio or climate controls. Arbaugh
is a driver’s biggest fear.” asked AASBO members: “Is having a conversation with a passenger as
Weather emergencies include thunderstorms and lightning, dangerous as having a hands-free cell phone conversation?” The answer
monsoons, dust storms and even earthquakes. Flooding poses a problem, is that it’s less dangerous with a passenger because the person in the bus
prompting Arbaugh to mention Arizona’s so-called stupid driver law, might see a problem and alert the driver, while someone on the other end
which states that any motorist who becomes stranded after driving of a cell phone conversation would continue to talk, Arbaugh explained.
around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway may be charged Even so, school bus drivers must have two-way communication
for the cost of their rescue. capabilities at all time, perhaps with a two-way radio.
If a field trip involves spending time on a lake or river, the driver needs If there is a medical emergency on the bus, get on the phone
to be able to swim and have live-saving skills. immediately to summon help, Arbaugh said. The Trust will defend the
An emergency affecting the driver, such as sneezing, coughing, driver in such extreme situations, she said.
fainting or any driver incapacitation must be considered, Arbaugh said. Drivers can help eliminate potential distractions by turning off their
Your plan for dealing with any of these may be different if the passengers phone while driving, reviewing their route before moving their vehicle,
are special needs students, high school students or kindergarten kids. utilizing a seating chart, ensuring their two way radio system works
Extreme distractions could involve students, construction zones, a properly, regularly reviewing bus rules, and telling any passengers you
bee inside a bus with students who are allergic. “What do you do with need to focus on driving.
articles rolling on the floor?” Arbaugh asked, Not the occasional water They can control distractions in the moment by pulling over to a safe
bottle – what about sports equipment? location and notifying their employer and getting a passenger to help.
Ernie Meza, Transportation Director, Deer Valley Unified School What can supervisors do? Arbaugh explained: “Review cell phone
District, told of an incident when a baseball bat slipped out of a bag when the policy and student management policies, discuss driver complacency,
bus driver had to slam on the brakes. ‘The bat flew out, became a projectile, review pulling-over procedures, radio etiquette and rules of the road.”
and smashed into the windshield,” Meza said. “It was that close to being a
true tragedy. It was fortunate that no one got hurt and damage was minimal.” Stephanie Arbaugh can be reached atsarbaugh@the-trust.org or
Arbaugh chimed in: “I’d rather fix a windshield than a student.” (602) 200-2471.
Fairly common mechanical problems include brake failure, tire
blowouts, steering failure and a stuck accelerator. “The process for what The Arizona School Risk Retention Trust, Inc. (the Trust), is
drivers should do should be written down,” Arbaugh said. a non-profit corporation that provides Arizona public school
She recommended reading “Practical Information on Crisis Planning: districts and community colleges with property and liability
A Guide for Schools and Communities.” coverage and related services.

20 THE EDGE | SPRING 2017