School Bus Safety Week might have concluded last week, but the traffic safety message is a year-round endeavor. To make that point clear, we have included a wrap-up interview with BKW’s Director of Pupil Transportation Ms. Santadrea. Learn how she works with school administrators, local law enforcement officials, and our community, to keep students safe on district roadways.
With over 30 years’ experience in your role, what has changed in district transportation?
Everything!! The equipment, the laws and regulations, the attitudes of the other motorists and the kids. When I first began my career in pupil transportation, you got your fingerprints, took a ten question permit test, went for your road test a few weeks later and were then handed the keys to a manual transmission school bus (the automatic transmission school buses had just been manufactured). You were also provided with a district map and put out on a route as soon as you returned from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and your road test.
Today, the equipment is safer and the laws and regulations are updated regularly. Unfortunately, the other motorists on the road are less engaged when operating a motor vehicle, and the kids are less engaged with their peers – they spend more time on their personal devices when they used to interact with their peers on the bus. It may be quieter on some buses, but it was fun when the kids interacted with their peers and the driver, which sometimes led to conversations on school bus safety.
Today, to become a bus driver, it’s almost a two to three month process from when a driver is hired, including obtaining their permit, the training period and road test. So, yes it has changed immensely, but for the better.
Anything new that has developed over the years in terms of traffic safety?
People have become complacent and are on their personal devices texting and aren’t paying attention. The advent of the stop arm cameras and plate readers has helped, in partnering with local law enforcement, to provide the district attorney’s office with the information needed to prosecute. When a motorist passes a stopped school bus, especially with kids that are crossing the street, that really upsets a bus driver because once a child rides on a school bus – – they often become “our kids.”
What positive outcomes have come about in your career to keep student transportation safer?
I feel that because of the laws and regulations, the improved requirements of bus drivers and the work of the professional organizations for pupil transportation, such as the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), the public is more aware of the issue of school bus safety. But, school bus safety isn’t just about running the bus’s red lights, though that is a huge concern, it also includes the emergency evacuation drills, passenger education and professional development for the transportation staff throughout the year. I feel that those are all positive outcomes to keep the students safer, but there is definitely more work to be done.
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