THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS

HELPING THE ENVIRONMENTGATEWAY TO EDUCATION

KEEPING KIDS SAFE

The Importance of School Buses

• The nation’s fleet of 480,000 Yellow School Buses provides safe and environmentally friendly transportation to 26 million children every day

There are more school buses than planes, trains and

transit buses combined

Every school bus reduces traffic by 36

cars

Why is the Yellow School Bus So Important?

Why Ride the Bus?

Help the Environment

Gateway to Education

Keep Kids Safe Safest VehiclesDedicated Professionals

Equal AccessParental Needs

Reduced TrafficReduced Pollution & Costs

What if?

What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road?

• School Buses keep an estimated 17.3 million cars off roads surrounding schools each morning

• Carpooling to school creates– Unnecessary vehicle idling– Higher emissions– Wasted fuel and money– Safety concerns

What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road?

What if?

School Bus Fuel Savings

For 180 day school year, National fuel savings:

2.3 BILLION gallons6.0 BILLION dollars

1 Bus = 36 Cars

= 300,000 Tankers

= 27 Super Tankers

Equal Access: A Step Toward Academic Achievement

Parents Agree…

Parents Agree…Without the yellow school bus service, it’s very likely that a large

number of students would be absent more often

Parents Agree…If bus service ceased, the student

achievement of millions of school children would probably decline

Based on ASBC Research

The school bus is the only reliable form of transportation for many students, and without it, the ability of all students to access the education system is limited

Parents Agree…

Convenience and cost savings are key attributesof the school bus

The Yellow School Bus is a Gateway to Education

• We all want children to stay in school• All children deserve an education• If the Yellow School Bus is at risk, the opportunity

for all children to access education is at risk

Safe Transportation

• U.S. Department of Transportation statistics confirm that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school

• In particular, students are 44 times more likely to arrive at school alive if they take the bus rather than if they drive or ride with friends

Reference: Special Report 269, The Relative Risks of School Travel” published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, 2002

Safe Vehicles

• School buses are designed specifically to protect students on and off the bus with special safety features not available on any other vehicle

• Safety features of school buses include:– Color – Size and height– Reinforced sides– Flashing red lights– Cross view mirrors– Crossing & stop sign arms

Size & Height

Reinforced

Sides

Flashing Red

lights

Crossview

Mirrors

StoparmSign

Walkgate

Why is the Yellow School Bus Important?

Help the Environment

Gateway to Education

Keep Kids Safe• Safest way to transport children to and from school

• Equal access to education for all children

and the pollution they produce• Reduce the number of cars

This is what it’s all about!