National Transportation Safety Board
Highway Accident Report

PB85-916206
NTSB/HAR-85-05
Report date: December 10, 1985

School bus rollover on State Route 88 near Jefferson, North Carolina, March 13, 1985

SYNOPSIS

   About 12:20 p.m. on March 13, 1985, an Ashe County School District school bus driven by a 17-year-old student driver and carrying 22 students, ages 16 and 17, was traveling up an 8-percent grade on eastbound State Route 88 near Jefferson, North Carolina, when it went off the right edge of the road in a left curve and crossed the grassy shoulder. The 1980 school bus then rolled on revolution to the right and down a steep embankment and came to rest upright 24 feet below the road service against two trees. There was not fuel leakage or fire. It was daylight, the weather was clear, and the two-lane roadway was dry. One student was seriously injured, one sustained moderate injuries, and the other 20 had minor injuries; the school bus driver was not injured. None of the bus occupants were ejected from the school bus.
   The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the inattention of the 17-year-old student school bus driver to his driving task which resulted in the school bus leaving the road, loss of control, and a subsequent overturn of the school bus. Contributing to the accident was the distraction of the driver by the unruly behavior of the student passengers. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the lack of a guardrail to redirect errant vehicles away form the steep embankment.

PROBABLE CAUSE

   The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the inattention of the 17-year-old student school bus driver to his driving task which resulted in the school bus leaving the road, loss of control, and a subsequent overturn of the school bus. Contributing to the accident was the distraction of the driver by the unruly behavior of the student passengers. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the lack of a guardrail to redirect errant vehicles away from the steep embankment.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of its investigation of the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board issued the following recommendations:

--to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Encourage school jurisdictions in all States to emphasize the portions of the Highway Safety Program Standard (HSPS) 17, "Pupil Transportation Safety", and the program manual for HSPS 17 addressing the handling of student behavioral problems in training courses for school bus drivers and in instruction given students in the rules for bus riders enforcement actions to be taken for rule violations, and the need for students to practice good behavior at all time while riding on a school bus. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-53)

--to the Ashe County School District:

Comply with the Federal guidelines in Highway Safety Program Standard 17, "Pupil Transportation Safety," which suggests that "one emergency evacuation drill should be held during the first week of school each semester" and that "at least twice during each school year, each pupil who is transported in a school vehicle shall be instructed in safe riding practices." (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-54)

Develop a program to follow up on reports of monthly school bus inspection in which missing or damaged safety equipment is noted, and assign specific responsibility for the replacement and repair of such items and for the correction of other noted safety hazards. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-55)

--to the State Directors of Pupil Transportation of Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina:

Discontinue the practice of hiring 16- and 17-year-old school bus drivers. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-56)

--to the State Director of Pupil Transportation of North Carolina:

As an interim measure, take steps to correct passenger discipline problems being encountered by current school bus drivers under 18 years of age. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-57)

Ensure that local school districts in the State of North Carolina comply with the Federal guidelines in Highway Safety Program Standard 17, "Pupil Transportation Safety," which suggests that "one emergency evacuation drill should be held during the first week of school each semester" and that "at least twice during each school year, each pupil who is transported in a school vehicle shall be instructed in safe riding practices." (Class II, Priority Action) (H-85-58)

--to the North Carolina Department of Transportation:

Install a guard rail on North Carolina State Route 88 from 0.35 to 0.65 mile west of Jefferson, North Carolina, where warranted, based on the fill height and embankment slope which meet the criteria in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' "Guide for Selecting, Locating and Designing Traffic Barriers." (Class II, Priority Action)(H-85-59)