Safety & Maintenance

• Each of our vehicles is subjected to a thorough New Jersey DMV inspection twice a year. These inspections are conducted on-site and are school-vehicle-specific.
   
• Drivers must conduct a complete pre-trip inspection each time a vehicle is placed into service. This inspection, as mandated by New Jersey State Statue, is required before the morning runs, before the midday runs, and before the afternoon runs. Any vehicle that is found to be deficient during these pre-trip inspections is immediately placed out of service until such time as a mechanic can correct the deficiency.
   
• All vehicles are routinely maintained during the school year according to a regular schedule as established by our district’s head mechanic.
   
• The district’s two mechanics do a thorough maintenance check of all vehicles during the summer months in preparation for the opening of school in September.
   
• In addition to this maintenance check, all vehicles are power washed inside and out during the summer. This cleaning, as performed by two school bus drivers employed for the task, is designed to remove bacteria, gum, and dirt. Due to the amount of time required to complete this task, only about 1 ½ vehicles can be cleaned each day.
   
• Drivers attend annual training sessions conducted by the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute or The National Safety Council. This training is either school bus-specific or defensive driving in nature.
   
• All drivers are made aware of those pupils who have been identified by school medical personnel as having a special medical need. Most drivers have received CPR training through the Randolph Township Board of Education and all are trained in the administration of the epi-pen for allergic reactions.
   
• All vehicles must be locked when not in use thereby requiring each driver to walk to the rear of the vehicle before leaving it unattended. This requirement also serves as a method whereby each vehicle is checked for pupils who may have remained on-board.
   
• The white strobe lights visible on the top of our vehicles were added in Randolph and Jackson through a waiver process since the state, at the time, was not permitting their use. As a result of this experimental waiver process and through extensive lobbying at the state level on the behalf of pupil safety, these strobe lights are now permitted throughout the state.
   
• Each of our 54-passenger school buses is of the transit type. This type vehicle is easily recognizable by its flat, no hood nose. This type of vehicle affords several safety considerations including better driver-pupil visibility, greater maneuverability in traffic, and easier and safer intersection entry.
   
• Each vehicle is equipped with a two-way radio in case of emergency. If a vehicle breaks down, a new bus is supplied within a short period of time.
   
• Because each vehicle completes several runs each day and whereas there is no area within the district’s transportation department to accommodate lost items, all lost and found is maintained on the individual bus where the item was found.

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