I agree that regulations need to be updated on a regular basis. My comment has to do with specifications on new school buses. The item I want to talk about is cruise control. I see that cruise is an option for activity buses, but not for school buses. I believe this should be added as an option on school buses also. Most school divisions in Virginia transport students to activities on school buses that are yellow in color (not the any color but yellow activity bus.) the only difference between the buses is the color.

I believe that it is just as safe for me to transport students to the same location, on the same highways with a yellow bus that has cruise control as it is with an activity bus. We have professional drivers driving school buses all over the state of Virginia, and they use good judgment practices everyday. I feel sure knowing when and how to properly use the cruise control would not be different.

This needs to be an option on a yellow school bus that is only allowed to be used for activity trips, not regular routes. Also the last word in any school division about being able to have this item on a bus could be left up to the school board and or transportation director. I ask you to please consider this.

                                                              Thank You.

   Updating pupil transportation regulations on a regular basis is crucial in order to provide the safest and most cost effective means of transporting students. With driver shortages, budget cuts, and an increasing interest in the safety of our bus riders, new technologies are needed to keep the wheels rolling. Without regular/yearly updates to regulations, many proven new technologies cannot be implemented and therefore cannot serve the purpose they were intended, increased safety and lower costs.

   I would also like to comment on the addition of cruise control on yellow buses used for activities and long trips. We as drivers are professionals and take our jobs seriously. We have the training needed to know when to use or not use various systems on our buses. The addition of Cruise Control on standard buses would lower the risk of driver fatige and muscle cramps during long trips across the Commonwealth and beyond. The use of dedicated non-yellow activity buses is not an option for the many poorer districts in Virginia. Yellow buses are being driven on long trips far more than dedicated activity buses and need to be equipped with the proper tools, including cruise control. Cost is not an issue as many of the new buses come equiped with this feature but have it deactivated due to the regulations. Over the years regulations have been made in order to make children on buses safer; providing drivers with the tools we need makes everyone safer.

Updating Pupil Transportation Regulations on Cruise Control

I  would like to comment on behalf of the professional school bus drivers who use school buses ( yellow in color ) to transport students during after school activities. As previously mentioned we are another public school district who does not own activity buses in any other color then yellow to transport students.

Cruise control systems have been around for many years, they have gone through many technological enhancements that improve driver comfort and convenience. In addition they have become a standard vehicle feature.

The primary purpose of cruise control when activated is that it enables you to maintain a constant speed without keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can help reduce driver fatigue during long trips. It also makes the driver look at the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them.

I personally run long activity trips away from our school and depend on this feature to allow me to maintain a constant speed on the interstate. This feature has prevented many discomforting cramps in my legs from holding accelerator in a constant position for extended periods of time. Bus drivers, unlike truck drivers, don’t spend nearly the amount of time behind the wheel that causes the fatigue that a truck driver would normally experience after many hours on the road. Due to the small amount of time a school bus driver spends on the road, they are not subject to the same levels of fatigue and stress, and are able to retain a much higher level of awareness while driving, even while driving with cruise control enabled.

 Professional school bus drivers are some the most qualified individuals to transport children safely to school. We are forced to attend two safety meetings a year and are forced to go for yearly physicals. We are watched like hawks for the smallest mistakes we may make. We must drive as safe as possible at all times, both defensively and offensively. If we neglect to drive with this high level of caution, someone will call the transportation office for the smallest error made.

As mentioned in a few previous letters. I agree regulations need to be updated on a regular basis, but this particular regulation needs to be reviewed and written so that cruise control should solely be used for activity trips, regardless of the color of the bus. I think the decision should be left up to school district and the transportation superintendent’s discretion.