1,100 school bus drivers, attendants train in ‘Safety Expo’

Houston Independent School District’s back-to-school transportation training program includes hands-on drills in railroad crossing safety, gang awareness, student management, hurricane preparedness and other topics. As Transportation General Manager Nathan Graf puts it, “It was not your typical training.”

New York association to hold 60th annual convention

The New York School Bus Contractors Association will hold its 60th annual convention Oct. 17-19 in Port Jefferson, New York. The convention, open to anyone who wishes to attend, will provide information about school bus safety, counterterrorism initiatives in pupil transportation, school bus fleet telematics, and legislative and regulatory developments.

Michigan school buses use QR codes to improve safety

Michigan State Police’s School Bus Inspection Unit is implementing QR code technology to every school bus in the state to monitor safety trends.

American Traffic Solutions releases school zone safety report

How to Help Eliminate Dangers of Traveling to and from School (and Keep Kids Safe) presents the dangers children face getting to and from school, and details some of the successes schools and cities are having with new solutions to change driver behavior and enhance student safety, company officials said.

PHOTOS: Back to school safety drill for bus drivers

NHTSA official blogs on son’s first school bus ride

David Friedman, acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, describes feeling “powerless” as his son stepped aboard a yellow bus for the first time. But, Friedman writes, he had checked the numbers: “School buses are the safest way to get to school, even safer than in the family car.”

District changes safety policies for special-needs students after driver arrest

Canyons School District in Sandy, Utah, will no longer allow bus drivers to buckle and unbuckle seat belts and restraints after a former bus driver was charged with allegedly molesting two special-needs students. The district will also randomly select buses and review security video daily, as opposed to only when concerns are raised.

First Student, Mile Square Transportation partner to serve New York districts

The companies form a joint venture to provide student transportation services in the Hudson Valley, Westchester and Bronx areas in New York under the name First Mile Square LLC. The new venture will build on Mile Square’s customer relationships, existing fleet and staff and First Student’s safety practices, training programs and scalable resource model.

Arkansas launches school bus safety campaign

The statewide effort aims to inform motorists of the importance of stopping for stopped school buses. Arkansas state pupil transportation director Mike Simmons and Kimberly Friedman of the state Department of Education have been making media appearances to promote the campaign, dubbed B.U.S.

STI unveils safety app

SchoolWheels SafeStop allows parents, students and schools to securely pinpoint the location of a vehicle on its route to and from school. The app updates in real time with stop/arrival information and includes notifications of when a student has boarded or exited the bus, according to the company.