We're All in the Driver's Seat (1984)

20 19 18 stop now if the numbers and sounds aren't together stop now if the projectionist is inexperienced stop now if you failed to clean the projector stop now if the film is chattering stop now if the picture is smeared three I remember always staying up too late and getting up too early and even if I were late for school mom made me finish breakfast every bit of it I remember hearing the school bus blowing its nose over and over again everybody had to know that I was 9 minutes late again I remember those two doors reaching out to grab me up I had to make take the bus I had to run the entire driveway with an arm full of falling books and a stomach full of scrambled eggs I remember Walter tale's foot waiting just for me each and every morning what a jerk I remember Mary Lou Mary Louise Mary Louise Co pepper always saving me that one dreaded seat she was the only one to finish her homework the night [Music] before I remember our driver Mr Alison and those kind words of wisdom he gave us freely every morning all right I want you all to sit down and be quiet or I'm going to put you all a report I remember intently meditating the rest of the way to school trust makes one sleep uh meditate deeply and I trusted that the ride would not only be punctual but also safe the school bus was a world unto itself carrying a noisy cargo of characters comfortably and carefully to its daily destination and much to my dismay I remember never being late for school no matter how hard I tried funny I don't remember I don't remember ever thinking about why the school bus was safe like lunch lines and Library fins I figured it just sort of came with a territory but that's typical of a child's point of view after all someone's got to drive the bus safely someone's got to keep a safe bus running smoothly and someone one's got to build a safe bus to begin with I remember thinking about all of this constantly now that I have schoolage children of my own I remember coming to the conclusion that it wasn't someone's job when it comes to transporting our children on some of the world's most congested streets and highways it's everyone's responsibility we're all in the driver's seat [Music] even years after we finished school we never finish our schooling since I always took school bus safety for granted I had to do a little homework to uncover the facts fact School busers are the safest mode of mass transport on the ground today each and every day American school bus drivers transport children the equivalent of 30 four round trips to the Moon safely try to imagine an astronaut attempting to chur 60 screaming students past potholes through intersections and over soft shoulders without incident then you remember your friendly school bus [Music] driver fact though more than 50,000 Americans lose their lives every year in our streets and highways less than 4 hundredths of 1% of those are in school buses why is it so much safer to ride a school bus than an ordinary car remember how the school bus is built in 1966 the national traffic and motor vehicle safety act was created to assure us all that critical safety standards would be maintained in school buses standards controlling tires Wheels accelerator Control Systems emergency warning devices interior impact protection brake and Lighting systems emergency exits structural guidelines window releases fuel system Integrity driver restraints passenger seating compartmentalization the list goes on I remember feeling safer riding in a school bus than riding in the family car fact all school buses are not created equal some have been tested did more and made safer than others they've been created under standards that go far beyond those set by the national traffic and motor vehicle safety act I remember my sixth grade science teacher Mr angstrom when I told him I'd like to be an engineer have you considered art I never did but I learned to read and reread a technical explanation until I fully understood it for instance these safer buses have an enclosed steel floor frame one piece roll bars throughout the bus that extend below the floor rather than being attached to the top surface of the floor this transmits any shock that hits the bus away from the children so all of this steel is between the passenger and any exterior danger such as a collision there are also crash rails that go the full length of the roof and a bumper that wraps all the way around a chassis frame front and rear the children are literally sitting above the Impact Zone now if you don't grasp what all this means at first you might go into art but I finally got the message all of these features create sort of a a circle of safety around the children in case of collision or rollover then there are those special features that help make these buses extra safe there are external guard rails along the sides all steel that add integral structural strength an additional skirt frame to add even more floor protection you know it begins to remind me of an armored personnel [Music] carrier there's a reason for these extra safety precautions because the manufacturer like everyone else has a son or a daughter or niece or nephew or grandson or granddaughter or cousin or friend riding a school bus everyone but everyone is in the driver's seat sharing the responsibility for the safety of our children fact as safe as our buses are built they are just machines where safety is concerned people are the deciding factor people like the school board are in the driver's seat even with educational funds and short supply they must budget the most safety for the dollar it's the school board that must make a long-term investment in the life of a child and the life of a bus people like Transportation supervisors are in the driver's seat their responsibility to recommend the best the safest bus for the money the supervisors also must face the tasks of planning the most efficient and safest routing as well as employing competent bus drivers people like the business managers are in the driver's seat making sure all shop and maintenance facilities for the buses are well stocked people like the school bus mechanics are in the driver's seat keeping the buses running as smoothly and as safely as the manufact intented people like the driver trainers who spend countless hours Drilling in safety procedures for every possible contingency people like the school bus drivers who must deliver their Precious Cargo intact and on time safely and securely each and every morning and afternoon people like the school bus manufacturers who must design and produce the safest bus possible that'll last the long longest period of years for the fewest dollars people like the inspectors who must check every new bus for specifications compliance then recheck all possible points of wear on existing buses making sure they're still safe for operation people like the parents are in the driver's seat instructing their children in the proper conduct while boarding exiting and riding a school bus people like John Q motorist who must constantly be on the lookout for children walking to and from the school bus and most of all it's people like the children who must take responsibility for their own safety the children must learn to board ride and exit a school bus safely no one person no one bus can guarantee a completely safe ride it's a team effort school bus safety is no [Music] accident I remember my weekly lunch allowance and I'd be so proud on Friday that I'd been able to save a few cents here and there through prudent money management and not eating Pennywise dollar stupid what good were a few extra dimes if I was too sick to enjoy them I remember my first school board meeting my heart went out to my fellow parents as hard as they tried they couldn't avoid the inevitable cutbacks had to be made somewhere and somehow the school bus my old friend was always the prime target no one could fault the logic of a well-intentioned school board if we could avoid buying new buses by keeping the old ones running just a little bit longer the savings would be unbelievable and that's just what they were not believable it's a lot like saving a few cents and not eating we saved by scrimping on the initial investment and then spent the savings on maintenance for old buses more fuel cost for the old buses more insurance for more buses more drivers for more buses more salaries and benefits for more drivers old buses equal more buses it's simple as sixth grade arithmetic state-of-the-art buses now can possibly carry up to 90 children per bus instead of the usual 66 passenger load fewer buses to carry the same number of children think of it this way since the new buses carry 20 to 25% more people that's 20 to 25% fewer buses now that's a believable savings and where do those savings go easy all that money can go to safety more money for driver's training more money for unsafe bus replacement more money for any additional safety features you'd like to add and remember that the new buses are safer than ever before coach type buses are more maneuverable in dangerous situations than the traditional bus there's a shorter turning radius and don't forget that the coach bus puts the kids well above the Impact Zone there are options that add even more safety such as low radius mirrors that work like Christmas tree balls enabling the driver to see children wherever they are in front of the bus get out of the area immediately and PA systems inside and out to call on emergency [Music] warnings I remember how happy I was to go driving off with Grandma every weekend I remember how much I enjoyed my older brother's first week of murdery and most of all I remember and I'll never never forget that quiet smile my father wore whenever I reached the school bus a smile I never really understood until now [Music] return the print immediately report damage don't patch it fill out and return the card with the 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