National Transportation Safety Board
Highway Accident Report

PB83-916203
NTSB/HAR-83/03
Report date: September 20, 1983

Jonesboro School District school bus run-off road and overturn, on State Highway 214 at State Highway 18 near Newport, Arkansas March 25, 1983

SYNOPSIS

   About 5:40 a.m. on March 25, 1983, a Jonesboro School district school bus was traveling westbound on State Highway 214 near Newport, Arkansas. The school bus was transporting 31 high school students and 7 teachers from Jonesboro, Arkansas, to the Annual State Skills Olympics for vocational-technical students in Little Rock, Arkansas. As the school bus traveled through a relatively sharp right curve leading to a T-intersection with State Highway 18, it slid across the centerline onto the opposing lane's shoulder and through a stop sign; it continued to yaw and slide across Highway 18, where it overturned and struck the far edge of a roadside drainage ditch. The teacher-driver, 4 other teachers, and 4 students were killed, and 2 teachers and 27 students were injured.
   The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the driver's failure to slow the school bus to a proper speed for negotiating a curve that led to a T-intersection with a stop sign and that had advance "curve" and "stop ahead" warning signs and an advisory speed sign. Contributing to the accident were the deficiencies of the intersection and signing system, and the lack of reporting of a large number of low severity accidents and incidents at the curve that would have effectively alerted the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department of deficiencies in the intersection design and signing system.

PROBABLE CAUSE

   The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the driver's failure to slow the school bus to a proper speed for negotiating a curve that led to a T-intersection with a stop sign and that had advance "curve" and "stop ahead" warning signs and an advisory speed sign. Contributing to the accident were the deficiencies of the intersection design and signing system, and the lack of reporting of a large number of low severity accidents and incidents at the curve that would have alerted the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department of deficiencies in the intersection design and signing system.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of its investigation of this accident, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that:

--the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department:

Revise the ball bank indicator readings used to select and post advisory speeds for curves to conform to the guidelines published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-42)

Determine if the design of the rumble strips installed at the approach to the curve on state Highway 214 has created a hazard because of traffic maneuvering into the opposing traffic lane to avoid the rumble strips, and take action to correct the problem if it is determined that a hazard exists. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-43)

--the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Include in Highway Safety Program Standard (HSPS) 17--Pupil Transportation Safety and in the "Program Manual" for HSPS 17 the requirement that the States institute quality control procedures for school bus repairs to determine if needed repairs have been performed adequately or if major repairs are required. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-44)

Include in the "Program Manual" of Highway Safety Program Standard 17--Pupil Transportation Safety:

1. Specific, well-defined qualifications for hiring school bus mechanics;

2. Specific skill areas for school bus mechanics for which certification of proficiency is required;

3. A bibliography of available courses which can be attended or course curricula which can be used as an example to obtain certification of proficiency in the required skill areas;

4. A requirement to institute and enforce procedures to prevent school activity groups from organizing, beginning, or continuing trips in mechanically unsafe vehicles; and

5. Requirements to place fire extinguishers at the front and rear of school buses, post signs in school buses on the location and use of emergency equipment, and brief passengers on the location and use of emergency equipment, both periodically and before beginning activity trips. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-45)

--all States and the District of Columbia;

Upgrade the quality of school bus inspection and repair by examining and revising, as required, the qualifications and training of and facilities for inspectors and mechanics and by instituting quality control procedures to determine if needed repairs have been performed adequately of if major repairs are required. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-46)

Institute and enforce procedures to prevent activity groups and drivers from organizing, beginning, or continuing trips in mechanically unsafe vehicles. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-47)

Place fire extinguishers at the front and rear of school buses, post signs in school buses on the location and use of emergency equipment, and brief passengers on the location and use of emergency equipment, both periodically and before beginning activity trips. (Class II, Priority Action) (H-83-48)