Nassau County School District
MEDIA RELEASE
October 6, 2017 1:04 p.m.
The Nassau County School District’s Transportation Department employs over 120 drivers, aides, mechanics, and administrative staff. It provides daily transportation to and from school for over 6,200 students and over 160 students with special needs, runs 77 bus and van routes covering over 1.8 million miles annually, and travels another 90,000 miles annually for field trips and special programs.
The National Highway Safety Administration has determined that riding a school bus is seven times safer that riding in a car or truck. Children are 70 times more likely to reach school safely on a school bus than any other means of transportation. In fact, out of all youth fatalities during school travel hours, less than 1% involve a school bus.
School buses are built to rigorous Federal and State safety requirements and undergo meticulous inspections while in service. The Nassau County School District’s vehicles that transport students (whether bus, van, or car) undergo an intensive, 3-4 hour inspection every month. Additionally, all vehicles get at least 2 pre-trip inspections every day. Vehicles with any deficiencies are placed out of service until the problem is fixed.
School bus drivers are highly skilled, professional drivers. They maintain a Commercial Driver’s License with special endorsements just to drive a school bus. They must maintain a clean driving record and pass a medical physical exam annually. Drivers undergo random drug and alcohol testing. They are trained in student behavior management, safety and security procedures, and emergency medical procedures. Approximately, 15% of the School District’s bus drivers are certified by the State of Florida to be trainers for school bus drivers. The School District also holds a contract with the State of Florida as certified CDL testing location.
Finally, did you know that riding a school bus helps the environment? One school bus offsets the equivalent of 36 cars. That saves families about 62 billion miles of driving annually and keeps 17 million cars from joining the daily commute. It also saves about 2.6 billion gallons of fuel and reduces CO2 emissions by 56.5 billion pounds. When you want to think green, go with the yellow bus.