Fulton Schools Celebrate National Bus Safety Week

ATLANTA, GA -- The Fulton County School System is celebrating National School Bus Safety Week. Held Oct. 16-20, this initiative calls for a time to highlight safety in transportation and celebrate bus drivers. This year's national theme is "Stop on Red!"

In Fulton County Schools, approximately 870 bus drivers travel 50,000 miles each day with 79,000 students in their tow. Annually, the 1,600 routes equate to more than 10 million miles. To put this in perspective, each school day Fulton County school buses travel the same distance as going around the Earth twice.

“With our buses’ strong steel construction and the safety knowledge of our drivers, school bus transportation remains the safest way to get students to and from school,” said Sam Ham, executive director of the district’s Transportation Department.

Fulton bus drivers undergo extensive training throughout the year by participating in driver skills exercises and classroom instruction. Drivers also must pass a criminal background check, have an annual physical, become CPR and first aid certified, and are subject to new hire and random drug and alcohol testing (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Driving records also are reviewed monthly, and drivers are certified in the Green Cross Defensive Driving course, considered one of the best driver trainings for organizations with large vehicle fleets. Of the nearly 900 drivers employed by Fulton County Schools, 150 of them have accident-free driving records and were recognized this summer during the district’s “Fulton’s Finest” recognition program.

In addition to a well-trained transportation staff, Fulton County Schools keeps its bus riders safe through special bus safety features. In August, Fulton County Schools became the first district in Georgia to add propane-powered school buses with three-point seat belts to its fleet. The 72-passenger buses developed by Blue Bird and ROUSH CleanTech are more economical, and it is anticipated that Fulton County Schools will save $3,500 in fuel per year per bus, which adds up to $315,000 that can be put back into the classroom.

And although lap belts are not a new feature in some buses, Fulton County Schools was the first district in Georgia to begin placing three-point safety belts – similar to what are found in passenger cars – on their larger “Type C” school buses. Currently, 90 propane-powered buses have this feature and more will be added as new buses are purchased.

The 2017 “Stop on Red!” theme, which refers to the mechanical stop sign that extends when a bus is stopped, holds special meaning for Fulton County Schools. Last year, Fulton County Schools began using the “CrossingGuard®” camera system to detect when a vehicle passes a stopped school bus. High-quality violation images of the vehicle’s license plate and a video that captures the entire event are then provided to law enforcement for fining the violating vehicle.

“We urge drivers to be aware of stopped school buses and to watch for students boarding or leaving the bus,” said Ham. “Not only is passing a stopped school bus against the law, but it puts our most precious ‘cargo’ – our students – in danger. We need our community’s help to keep all children safe.”

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