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NEWS LOUISIANA

No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he is viligant in its preservation -

General Douglas McArthur

Home Gallery Board Members 2009

AUGUST, 2010

NEW CELL PHONE LAW 2010

Louisiana Senate Bill 863: Prohibits texting and handheld cell phone use for all drivers. This does not include hands free operation of mobile phones and use of two way radios. Primary offence. Fines of $175 plus court costs, and then $500 for any other offense. Primary enforcement will begin Aug 15, 2010. Please aware all drivers and employees whom may be traveling in or thru the State of Louisiana of this new law.

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The Number of Persons That Can Safely Sit on a School Bus Seat

Federal regulation does not specify the number of persons that can sit on a school bus seat. The school bus manufacturers determine the maximum seating capacity of a school bus. The manufacturers use this number, which is based on sitting three small elementary school age persons per typical 39 inch school bus seat, in the calculations for determining the gross vehicle weight rating and the number of emergency exits. School transportation providers generally determine the number of persons that they can safely fit into a school bus seat. Generally they fit three smaller elementary school age persons or two adult high school age persons into a typical 39 inch school bus seat.

NHTSA recommends that all passengers be seated entirely within the confines of the school bus seats while the bus is in motion. Federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 222, "School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection" requires that the interior of large buses provide occupant protection so that children are protected without the need to buckle-up. Occupant crash protection is provided by a protective envelope consisting of strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs. Persons not sitting or sitting partially outside of the school bus seats will not be afforded the occupant protection provided by the school bus seats.

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Illegal Passing: The Problem

The big yellow school bus approaches the intersection of First and Main. Seven or eight elementary school students are waiting near the curb. First the yellow lights come on. Then the school bus comes to a halt. The red lights start to flash. The stop-arm goes out. The school bus driver looks at the traffic behind her and in front of her and thinks, "Will anyone try to pass?"

School buses and motorists. Both have been part of the morning and afternoon landscape for five generations of school children. Although yellow wasn�t adopted as the school bus color until 1939, school buses have been around since 1915, about as long as the automobile.

In all that time there has been an uneasy co-existence between school buses and motorists. School buses make frequent stops to load and unload students. It is the nature of their business. By law, when a school bus stops to drop off or pick up students, motorists must stop too. But motorists often don�t want to stop. Motorists want to get where they are going, with little interruption and as quickly as they can. 


Yet, in a 1997 survey on speeding and other unsafe driving behaviors, 99 percent of the drivers interviewed felt that the most dangerous unsafe driving behavior was passing a school bus with its lights flashing and stop arm extended. Passing a stopped school bus was considered to be more dangerous than any other unsafe driving behavior, more dangerous even than racing another driver, driving through a stop sign or red light, crossing railroad tracks with red lights blinking, passing in a no-passing zone, and speeding.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS - Many bus operators from across the state know one another, personally, from meeting at convention, or meeting on field trips to other areas, etc. This section will be used to let everyone from all over the state know when one of our members, retired or active, needs our help. Members can contact me using cvjw@cox.net OR Click on Comments and I will post the prayer request or information. You should check with the person to see if it is ok to give name. We all need help at different times.

As we begin another school year please say a prayer for all bus operators as they drive children to and from school. May we vigilent in watching students when they are getting on and off the bus and patient with those that "try our patience."

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remember!!!!!!!

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PARISH NEWS

EAST BATON ROUGE - The officers of the Association went to the Superintendent of Human Resourses concerning the policy of having drivers 60+ take TWO PHYSICALS a year. The state of Louisiana only requires that drivers get ONE PHYSICAL a year and the FDOT requires a physical every TWO YEARS. This is an issue of discrimination against a certain age group. Dr. Swindford is looking into the matter and agreed that this policy is one that discriminates against drivers 60+.

The Association will have the 2010-2011 School Calendar available again this year. This is a great way for Associations to raise money. The calendar has all important dates marked, i.e. payday, inservice dates, holidays, and you can add your oil/grease dates.

IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR 2010-2011.

I feel Associations around the state HAVE NEWS to SHARE. "How do you handle discipline problems on your bus? How abaout some TIPS ON BUS MAINTENANCE, FUEL MANAGEMENT? How does your group work with the Parish School Board to implement good work envirnoment? What have you done in your parish to help make driving a school bus a good career field." How much is diesel in your parish. This might be something drivers on FIELD TRIPS might be interested in. HOW DO YOU RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS or do you have suggestions about this issue? DID YOU SEE A FUNNY CARTOON INVOLVING SCHOOL BUSES?

BOARD MEMBERS CAN USE THE WEBSITE TO COMMUNICATE TO THEIR DISTRICTS.

These are only a few of the THINGS OF INTEREST that you can share with everyone. Everyone can contribute - it doesn't have to be the President of the group. However, articles containing content that is detrimental to other members or that contain profanity will not be placed on the web. If there is any question about the information submitted the submitter will be contacted to verify the information.

STILL Waiting for News!

Send comments to Carole Whitesell - cvjw103@yahoo.com