Posted on 02/28/2008 10:59:09 AM PST by JZelle
Prince George's County school officials said the driver charged in a school-bus accident yesterday that injured dozens of students on board had met the district's requirements, despite having his license suspended five times for driving-related offenses.
Schools spokesman John White said the driver, Antonio N. Robinson, had a clean driving record for more than 10 years and had passed a criminal background check when hired in August 2006.
"We felt he had a significant amount of time with a good driving record and, with some training, he could be a good driver," Mr. White said.
Court records show that Mr. Robinson, 46, of Hyattsville was cited in June 1985 for failing to obey a stop or yield sign in Silver Spring. His license was suspended six months later after he failed to appear in court for the charge. He was charged in 1987 with driving without a license.
Two years later, he was caught driving without a registration. In 1992, he was cited for driving the wrong way down a one-way street and for not having current license plates.
The accident yesterday occurred at about 8:50 a.m. in Riverdale when Mr. Robinson tried to beat oncoming traffic on Riverdale Road to make a left turn onto 61st Place, a few blocks from dropping off the 44 students at William Wirt Middle School.
Police charged Mr. Robinson with speeding, negligent driving and not wearing a seat belt.
Several parents who rushed to Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly, where about half of the students were taken, complained about Mr. Robinson.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
If they’d declined to hire him because of his record, the ACLU would have filed lawsuits by now.
I know where this accident happened. He was actually driving uphill when he attempted the left turn. He must have been driving very fast to flip over that bus on that left turn.
The government merely reports injuries for children per mile for school buses compared to injuries per mile for cars regardless of who is driving or for what reason.
This is an **invalid** statistic!
What is needed is a strict comparison of buses as compared to a parent driving a child to and from school ( for this exclusive reason) with a child in a seat belt! This comparison would provide valid information that would help a parent decide what would be the best way to protect his child on his ride to and from school.
A parent driving a child to and from school is on the road for **less** time and **fewer** miles. This alone will reduce risk to the child.
We need to know what is the risk of a child be injured if he is with his parent, and is properly restraint's in a seat belt! If the government does know this answer, I doubt that it would get much attention because it would likely make buses look as dangerous as they **really** are!
The article recommends increasing the height of school bus seats. Without adult monitors on the bus, I expect that increasing seat height will increase injury from bullying and sexual abuse.
Finally, in my reading, I have only seen reports of seat belts in buses being tested in front end collisions. This is the **least** likely type of accident to occur! Roll over and side impact collisions are far more common and padded “compartmentalized” seats do **NOT** keep children from being thrown from the sides and tops of their “compartmentalized” seats and slamming around the inside of the bus, and landing on and crushing other children.
Added to this is the lack of monitors on the back of the buses and adult assistants to help children cross the street. Poorly designed exits and lack of adult monitors means that children are killed and **severely** injured from being crushed by their buses when crossing the street, and by being dragged when their clothing snags on doors and railings as they exit the bus.
I suggest following the money. The trail will lead directly to the the NEA teachers’ paychecks. These are the people would would like Mother Teresa awards for being the Saviors of children ( when they are not defending aborting them).
Look at the design of the roof top escape hatch. Does that tiny hole look adequate to you?
I certainly don’t think so.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
Well, it’s not like people are knocking down the doors to be school bus drivers.
Escape hatch????
They’re just air vents, no?
I think they are supposed to be escape hatches for children to use when there are roll over crashes.
Since school buses are so top heavy, and have a propensity to roll over, I would think all school buses would have escape doors on the roofs.
I’ve seen those things on buses in my time, when we didn’t wring our hands over these things, and they were not meant for doors; vents just like in old buses and trolleys and trains. The only emergency door was the back door, and some buses had special pop-out windows (as do trains and other buses and even planes) mid-length located. As with this bus, I’d think having those emergency windows was the plan.
And besides, in this case also, the rear full-size door is exposed.
Is one rear door enough to allow the quick exit and evacuation of 40 or more students? I don’t think so.
Also, window exits in a roll over, while certainly better than nothing, would not be as effective as roof exits. The children must climb upward to access them. Remember, that in a roll over, half of the window exits are useless.
I have read that roof exits are available for school buses. Existing buses should be retro-fitted and all new buses should include them. I would think that this would be a rather minor added expense but could definitely save lives in an accident.
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