Blue Bird Announces School Bus Safety Upgrades

Blue Bird has announced recent comprehensive safety upgrades to its school buses. (Image provided by IMMI).

The Blue Bird Corporation, a manufacturer of electric and low-emission school buses, recently announced what it calls “the most comprehensive safety upgrades to our school buses in the company’s history.”

“Blue Bird buses will feature an unprecedented array of safety systems to protect school children, bus drivers and other road users. Blue Bird advances its safety leadership to help prevent injuries and save lives,” according to a press release.

According to Blue Bird, school buses make up the largest mass transit transportation system in the United States with an estimated 480,000 school buses in operation. More than 25 million children and over 175,000 drivers travel on school buses every weekday nationwide. Those buses cover nearly six billion miles per year.

“Starting in the fall of 2024, Blue Bird will begin equipping new school buses with a series of industry-first safety features. New Blue Bird buses will be equipped with three-point seat belts as standard protection for all student passengers,” the release added. “Other seat options will still be available to meet specific customer needs. As an additional industry first, Blue Bird will safeguard school bus drivers with the introduction of 4Front, a steering wheel deployed air bag. Blue Bird teamed up with IMMI, an employee-owned and leading global supplier of advanced safety systems and restraints based in Indiana, to develop these industry-leading safety enhancements in student transportation.

“Blue Bird will also be implementing a series of improvements to increase the performance of the school bus and its safety on the road. To improve visibility for the bus driver and other motorists, Blue Bird will adopt high-intensity LED lighting on the outside and inside of the bus, high-resolution front and rear cameras, as well as lighted stop arms, lighted school bus signs, and strobe lights. Blue Bird will also be implementing high-tech systems to improve vehicle safety, including collision mitigation systems being added to the currently standard electronic stability control (ESC).”

“For nearly a century, our children’s safety has been our business. We proudly carry millions of school children every year, the most precious cargo in the world,” Britton Smith, president of Blue Bird Corporation, said. “Today we raise the bar even higher for student transportation by announcing the most comprehensive safety upgrades to our school buses in our history.”

Visit www.blue-bird.com.