Officials are calling for alcohol detection systems and lap/shoulder belts on school buses amid concerns of impaired bus drivers.
The cited an incident in March of 2024 when a school bus carrying 10 students near Milestone, West Virginia, rolled over, seriously injuring three students while the remaining 16 sustained minor injuries.
It was later determined that the driver had a blood alcohol concentration reading of 0.161 grams per deciliter, nearly twice the legal limit.
Impaired driving among bus riders is a growing concern. Between 2015 and 2019, at least 118 bus drivers were caught operating a school bus under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both, according to a Stateline study.
The National Transportation Safety Board said alcohol detection systems are already being used in parts of Europe.
“As a result, the NTSB recommended that the National Highway Traffic Safety 91心頭istration require all new school buses to be equipped with vehicle-integrated alcohol detection systems,” the board said in a press release.
It also recommends passenger lap/shoulder belts for increased protection. Its investigations of the Milestone crash and a similar incident in Dale, Texas, concluded that unbelted children are at risk of colliding with other students and being ejected from the bus.
“In both the Millstone, West Virginia, and the Dale, Texas, crashes, the unbelted students were thrown about the interior of the bus, resulting in the increased risk of injuries and ejections,” the board said.
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