Dear Dr. Yael,
While this may not be your usual topic, as a driving instructor, I wanted to share this information with your readers.
Did you know that New York State claims that 75% of all student school bus fatalities are from the frum community?
New York State has a population of 2.2 million children traveling on more than 50,000 school buses. Our community has 100,000 kids traveling on 600 school buses. How is it possible that we have that many accidents?
Yet it is true. Over the past seven years we have had three times as many fatalities as the rest of the state’s population.
The easiest thing to do is find excuses. For example: How can you compare us to the rest of the state? We have more kids. Or this: We have a lot of school buses in small neighborhoods.
These are not made up answers. These are comments I have gotten when I have discussed the issue with school administrators and transportation managers.
75% reflects too many kids! Where are all the help organizations? Why isn’t here a great outcry?
How can we make changes, you ask? Not too long ago, New York State some decisions. Look at these numbers. From 1960-1970 there were 36 schoolbus related deaths. From 1970-1980 there were 37. From 1980-1990 only 20 deaths. From 1990-2000 12 deaths. From 2000-2010 just 3 deaths and from 2010-2018 there were 4 deaths. (Statistics were taken from SBSIOBSAAT.)
The accidents in the last 10 years were: 1) 3 Adar 2010 Brooklyn, New York. A yeshiva student. 2) 9 Cheshvan, 2012 Monsey, New York. A yeshiva student. 3) 5 Cheshvan, 2016 Erie, New York. A public school student. 4) 21 Cheshvan, 2017 Monroe New York. A yeshiva student.
What did the state do to enhance safety on school buses? In March of 1972 a school bus in Congers, NY was hit by a train. Five children died and 20 were injured. After that, busses were redesigned, and drivers were required to undergo testing and observation by the DMV. There is also a rigorous training process overseen by the Department of Education.
So here’s the question.
Do our school bus drivers undergo the same rigorous training? Do they undergo the same training? Do they follow the defensive driving protocol as the state’s bus drivers? Are our bus monitors, attendants and children trained as well?
Parents need to be asking these questions of their children’s yeshivos. Call your school administrator and ask these questions. Get involved in your children’s safety. It’s the only way to assure that all that should be done is getting done.
Moses Follman
Drive Thru Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
Dear Mr. Follman,
Thank you. If this column prevents even one accident, it will be to your credit. Readers, please prevail upon your yeshivos to keep our children safe. Hatzlocha!