School districts or private contractors can operate school buses  transporting public school students. These regulations apply in very limited circumstances such as for  contractors hired by schools who provide transportation for  extracurricular activities across state lines. Detailed Data Are Limited on School Bus Crashes, but Fatal School-Bus Crashes Are a Very Low Percentage of All Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes

		While Little Federal Data Exist beyond School Bus Fatalities, State Data May Contain More Detailed Information

At the federal level, both NHTSA and FMCSA collect data on motor  vehicle crashes that include crashes involving school buses. When we extended our analysis to  include 2011 to 2014, the average fell slightly to 115 fatal crashes each  year, which is 0.3 percent of the 34,835 fatal motor-vehicle crashes that  occurred on average each year during this time. Seventy-four  percent of fatal crashes from 2000 to 2010 occurred during home-to- school and school-to-home travel times. We found that all 50 states require school bus inspections,  and most states also require driver training. NHTSA has reported that  new school buses have to meet more vehicle safety standards than  any other type of new motor vehicle. Beyond  home-to-school and school-to-home transportation, the type of  operator—whether it is a private contractor or a school district or other  governmental entity—and the type of trip—including whether the trip  will cross state lines—determine whether all Federal Motor Carrier  Safety Regulations apply. Building on Federal Requirements, States Set Requirements for School Bus Safety That Vary by State but Generally Not by Type of Operator

States build upon federal laws and regulations and usually set additional,  state-specific requirements for school bus safety that generally apply to  both school districts and contractors, according to stakeholders we spoke  with. For example, in Illinois, the State Board  of Education and Secretary of State oversee school bus driver training,  and the Department of Transportation oversees school bus inspections,  while in Pennsylvania the Department of Transportation oversees school  bus driver training and the State Police oversees school bus inspections. Vehicle Standards for Maximum Age and Capacity

In our search of state laws and regulations, we found six states that set a  requirement for the maximum vehicle age for when a school bus must be  replaced or no longer used. The Department of Transportation provided technical  comments, which we incorporated as appropriate. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act included a provision for  GAO to conduct a review of school bus safety, including examining any  differences in the safety performance of different types of school bus  operators—that is, school districts and contractors—and what safety  requirements apply to them. We examined: (1) data federal and state  agencies collect on school bus crashes and the number and  characteristics of fatal school-bus crashes that have occurred since 2000;  (2) federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to school bus  inspections, vehicles, and drivers, as well as state data on inspections’  outcomes; and (3) sources for leading practices for safe school-bus  transportation, as identified by stakeholders and literature, as well as any  areas where further federal guidance could be useful. First, we analyzed  Buses Involved in Fatal Accidents (BIFA) data from the University of  Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) for calendar years  2000 to 2010 to describe the attributes of crashes involving school buses. To describe federal school bus safety requirements, we reviewed federal  laws and regulations on school bus inspections, driver training, and  vehicle standards—specifically, vehicle age and seating capacity of  school buses. To describe state laws and regulations, we systematically searched laws  and regulations for all 50 states to determine the extent to which states  set requirements for school bus inspections, driver training, and vehicle  standards.
Why GAO Did This Study

School buses transport over 26 million students to school and other activities every day. While school buses have a strong safety record, crashes with fatalities and injuries do occur. Since school buses transport precious cargo—our children—government and industry strive to further improve their safety. Federal and state agencies both oversee school bus safety, and locally, school buses can be operated by school districts or private contractors, working on behalf of school districts.
The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act included a provision for GAO to review school bus safety. GAO examined (1) fatal crashes involving school buses for 2000 to 2014 and (2) federal and state school-bus-related laws and regulations, among other objectives. GAO analyzed two sets of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute on fatal school bus crashes for 2000 to 2014, the latest year for which data were available; reviewed federal laws and regulations; and systematically searched state laws and regulations on school-bus inspections, driver training, and maximum vehicle age and capacity in all 50 states. GAO also interviewed federal officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT), school bus industry associations and manufacturers, and other stakeholders.
DOT reviewed a draft of this report and provided technical comments that GAO incorporated as appropriate.

What GAO Found

Based on GAO's analysis of data for 2000 to 2014, 115 fatal crashes involved a school bus on average each year—which is 0.3 percent of the 34,835 total fatal motor-vehicle crashes on average each year. The school-bus driver and school-bus vehicle (e.g., a defect) were cited as contributing factors in 27 percent and less than 1 percent of fatal school-bus crashes, respectively. Seventy-two percent of fatal crashes occurred during home-to-school and school-to-home travel times. Limited national data on school bus crashes exist beyond data on fatal school-bus crashes, but some states have richer data—for example, on the type of bus or whether the operator was a school district or private contractor.
Federal laws and regulations set requirements for certain aspects of school bus safety, and state laws and regulations in many cases go beyond the federal requirements. Federal regulations for school-bus vehicle standards and driver licensing apply to both school districts and contractors. DOT has reported that new school buses must meet more Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards than any other type of new motor vehicle. Federal safety regulations for commercial motor-vehicle operations apply in certain cases, such as for contractors hired by schools to provide transportation for extracurricular activities across state lines. Based on a systematic search of state laws and regulations, GAO found that all 50 states require school bus inspections while most states—GAO found 44—require refresher training for school bus drivers. However, GAO found that less than a quarter of states set specific requirements for the maximum age and seating capacity of school buses. Overall, according to stakeholders GAO interviewed, states' requirements vary by state for school bus inspections, driver training, and vehicles but tend not to differ based on the type of operator.