Superintendent Tata Asks for Public's Help in Improving Bus Safety
Superintendent Tony Tata is inviting public feedback on transportation issues in the Wake County Public School System. It’s part of his efforts to improve a department that transports more than 73,000 students every day.
Tata’s invitation comes after an increase in school bus accidents during the first two months of this year. “The safety and security of students is our top priority.” Tata said. “I have spent sufficient time at our Rock Quarry and outlying bus facilities to know that we can do better.”
Community Feedback
If citizens have a concern about WCPSS school bus drivers, or any other transportation issue, they should contact the transportation department at (919) 856-8050 or e-mail transportation@wcpss.net and provide the pertinent information:
- Their name
- Contact information
- Bus number
- School/bus route number or name (if applicable)
- Location (if applicable)
- Nature of concern
“School bus safety is not just a school issue, it’s a community issue. We share the roads of Wake County with almost three-quarters of a million other vehicles. We all need to drive defensively and be alert,” Tata said.
Tata met with Transportation Department leadership to investigate the recent accidents and look for ways of reducing the number of incidents. He zeroed in on three types of at-fault accidents – all preventable: rear-end collisions, side-swipes and backing into objects.
Stand Down for Safety
The WCPSS Transportation Department held a Stand Down for Safety between March 28-30 to reiterate the importance of safety. “We immediately notified every driver and put them on notice that these accidents have to be stopped,” said Robert Snidemiller, senior director of Transportation.
All drivers will now participate in mandatory, monthly safety training meetings. The first meeting focused on the three most common types of at-fault accidents that have increased. These meetings take place in each of the 15 school bus districts. The agenda will be the same at each meeting, and every driver will receive the same information.
Stepping up Accountability
One element of the stand down is a thorough review of the Transportation Review Board, which investigates every accident. That process will be strengthened as will the consequences for at-fault accidents. “That will also heighten the driver accountability,” Snidemiller said.
Staff is developing a matrix that will guide the review board. “The consequences for each type of accident will be clearly spelled out. At-fault injury accidents will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately. Unsafe drivers will not be on the road,” he added. Transportation leaders will increase the use of accident data to track and identify accidents, as well as solicit input from drivers on the cause and prevention of accidents.
Focused Monitoring
Any time a bus is in motion and makes contact with any other object, it triggers a report that is monitored and sent to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. From a broken mirror or taillight to a scratch or dent, if a bus makes contact with something, it’s reported.
“We’ve always investigated every incident and accident, no matter how small, and addressed them individually with each driver,” Snidemiller said. “These are the types of accidents the monthly monitoring system captures. We saw the unusually high numbers beginning in January and asked ourselves what else could we do about those at-fault accidents.” That spawned the partnership with the DMV announced on March 24, which will provide monthly defensive driving classes tailored specifically to school bus drivers.
Only Good Drivers Need Apply
“We’re serious about good driving,” Snidemiller said. Standards for being a WCPSS driver exceed that of the NC DMV. On average, only about 40 percent of bus driver applicants successfully pass the requirements, earn their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and become a WCPSS bus driver.
“Our drivers avoid accidents everyday by using defensive driving and their professional training, but I know we can do better,” Snidemiller said. “We’re also reinstituting our Employee Recognition Program to highlight and showcase exemplary driving, safety and customer service,” he added.
Superintendent Tata is concerned about school bus accidents and is monitoring progress. “I’m counting on our drivers to eliminate at-fault accidents, and I challenge motorists in our community to reduce the number of accidents that are not our fault,” Tata said. “The bottom line is that school bus safety is everyone’s responsibility.”