Most Wanted

Transportation Safety

Improvements

State Issues

Improve School Bus/Grade Crossing Safety

Importance

While school bus grade crossing accidents are infrequent occurrences, the results can be catastrophic when they do occur. School buses often carry large numbers of children, and exposing them to the risk of collision at a grade crossing poses grave danger. Passive grade crossings are particularly dangerous because there are no active warning devices to signal that a train is approaching. Ensuring that drivers "stop, look, and listen" at all grade crossings will help ensure the safety of the Nation's school children.

In 2005, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, there were 145,608 public grade crossings (as opposed to those on private property); 55.7 percent, or 81,052, were passive crossings. About 44 percent of the fatalities from public grade crossing accidents in 2005 (143 of 325) occurred at passive crossings.

Safety Recommendations: There is one recommendation currently in this issue area.

H-01-38 (the States and the District of Columbia)
Issued January 22, 2002
Added to the Most Wanted list: 2004
Status: Various

 

In cooperation with the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, develop and implement a program of initiatives for passive grade crossings and school buses that includes (1) installation of stop signs at passive crossings that are traversed by school buses except where an engineering study shows their installation would create a greater hazard; (2) use of information about whether school buses routinely cross passive grade crossings as a factor in selecting crossings to upgrade with active warning devices; (3) a requirement that all newly purchased and in-service school buses be equipped with noise-reducing switches; (4) enhanced school bus driver training and evaluation, including periodic reviews of on-board videotapes where available, especially with regard to driver performance at grade crossings; and (5) incorporation of questions on passive grade crossings in the commercial driver's license manual and examination. Source: Collision of CSXT Freight Train and Murray County School District School Bus at Railroad/Highway Grade Crossing, Conasauga, Tennessee, March 28, 2000

Summary of Action

Six States (CT, GA, ID, KY, NM, and RI) have installed stop signs at passive grade crossings that are traversed by school buses (element 1).

Thirty-six States (AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, and WY) have reported that they use information about whether school buses routinely cross passive grade crossings as a factor in selecting crossings to upgrade with active warning devices (element 2).

Sixteen States (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MI, NV, NM, NC, TX, WA, WV, and WY) require that all newly purchased school buses be equipped with noise-reducing switches or require an acceptable alternative (element 3).

Thirty-three States (AZ, AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, MD, MI, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, WA, and WV) use videotapes or enhanced their school bus driver training to include driver performance at passive grade crossings (element 4).

Sixteen States (CO, CT, DE, IL, KY, ME, MI, MO, MT, ND, OK, SC, VA, WA, WI, and WY) include questions on passive grade crossing safety in the commercial driver's license manual and examination (element 5).

Actions Remaining

Staff believes that we can achieve satisfactory compliance for this recommendation by continuing to work with the national school bus safety organizations. These organizations, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, and the National Association of Pupil Transportation, have worked with the Safety Board in the past to champion our school bus safety recommendations.

September 2006

Map - School Bus/Grade Crossing Safety Improvements (95 KB)
Chart - Action on School Bus/Grade Crossing Safety Recommendation (46 KB)

Most Wanted Highway

Most Wanted Home