[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 157 (Wednesday, November 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SCHOOLBUS SAFETY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 14, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the 
Schoolbus Safety Act of 2001, legislation designed to close a loophole 
in federal regulations that can threaten the safety of children who 
ride a bus to and from school.
  As my colleagues may know, the sale of new 15-passenger vans to carry 
school-age children has been banned since 1974 because they do not have 
the same safety features as school buses and because the vans are more 
likely to roll over when carrying many passengers. However, current 
regulations allow schools to purchase used 15-passenger vans--the 
loophole my legislation addresses.
  School buses and 15-passenger vans are radically different vehicles. 
A school bus must meet numerous mandated federal safety standards. 
School buses have multiple horizontal and vertical steel beams bonded 
together in such a manner that essentially wraps the passengers in a 
cage of steel. The inside and outside of the bus is further reinforced 
by thick sheets of steel.
  A school bus is generally heavier than a comparable sized passenger 
vehicle and has exit doors, superior roof structure, an interior aisle, 
significant interior seat padding, driver visibility, fuel system 
integrity, and a far superior center of gravity and stability. In 
addition school buses have special warning light and pedestrian control 
systems and are generally painted a bright yellow, which are all 
significant safety features.
  The traditional 15-passenger van is structurally and generally a 
significantly different vehicle. These vans were originally rated as 
``light trucks'' and, as such, were not required to meet passenger 
safety standards. Therefore, the area behind the driver is anticipated 
only to carry cargo and does not have side bar protection which 
accompanies normal passenger vehicles, including mini vans.
  The numbers tell the whole story. When evaluating the relative safety 
of all passenger vehicles and school buses per road mile, studies show 
that school buses are markedly safer vehicles. In 1994, there were 
21,813 deaths in passenger vehicles, which translates to .86 deaths 
every 100 million miles. In school buses, there were two occupant 
deaths, which translate into .005 deaths per 100 million road miles. In 
other words, passenger vehicles per road mile had a fatality rate 170 
times higher than school buses.
  School buses are the safest form of mechanized transportation that 
exists. School buses are 34 times safer than train travel and 4 times 
safer than commercial aviation.
  My legislation removes the nearly 30 year old loophole in the federal 
regulations that allows used vans to be purchased while new vans are 
banned. In addition, this bill extends the ban from sale of vans to 
leasing, renting and buying, thereby making the buyers accountable as 
well as the seller. These changes will insure that the intent of the 
1974 law is finally realized. The bill also would strengthen the 
penalties on those who violate this important safety provision.
  In light of numerous high profile cases involving colleges and 
universities, my bill extends the definition of ``schools'' for these 
provisions to include ``postsecondary'' institutions.
  The legislation raises the prescribed penalty for breaking this law 
from ``not more than $1000'' to ``not more than $25000'', thereby 
giving the enforcement agencies something to make it worth their while 
to pursue. This provision is important because from 1974 until 1997, 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which had 
responsibility for administering the law, did not initiate one single 
enforcement proceeding in the entire country.
  Finally, the bill mandates that fines collected under this 
legislation would be pooled into an account under the Secretary of 
Transportation for use in enforcing these provisions.
  Mr. Speaker, as a nation, we long ago decided that the means by which 
we transport our children to and from school and school-related 
activities, should be as safe as possible. This bill will go a long way 
in ensuring that safety for our children.

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