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The History of School Buses Have you ever wondered what the history of school buses is? How many people remember their parents talking about having to walk ten miles in the snow to get to school? Well, unbelievably some people did have to walk that far to get to school and back home again. Today, most parents and children take the school bus for granted without realizing how far we have come in the transportation of schoolchildren. In the early 1900s, about thirty states had wagons pulled by horses that took children to school. Before this time, everyone walked to school no matter how far it might be. Parents would often have to take time from farming to walk their child to school if the child was younger than most. It was not until the 1940s that the forty-eight states created a set of standards and recommended the use of school buses. The Federal government also made regulations concerning the use of school buses. Today these guidelines cover about half a million school buses and about twenty-five million students transported daily. More than four billion miles are driven each year by school bus drivers. Unfortunately, a number of horrific school bus incidents have led to major changes in how school buses are regulated. Because of the size of the school bus, most people injured are those who crash into the bus. Although there have been some accidents where the students have been injured involving trains and other large trucks, most times the children are better protected in the bus even though seat belts are not used. No matter how the bus might be designed, hitting a moving train will have severe consequences to most everyone. Some of the changes made to the school bus include adding oversized outside rearview mirrors. The addition of reflective devices such as the red lights that come on when a bus is stopping have made things safer for children crossing the street in front of a bus. Emergency exits and changes to how windows operate have also lessoned the number of accidents from children being trapped in buses. Safety is important in school buses as the school bus transports and protects one of our most important resources, our children. Making school buses more efficient is a strong concern for most school districts. Exploring the use of electric or hybrid vehicles is currently being done in several states. By providing the school buses with more power, the driver can travel at posted speeds and avoid problems with drivers that try to pass the vehicle in an unsafe manner. Energy efficient school buses could pave the way to providing better access for students in rural areas. School buses have come a long way from the day when horses pulled an open wagon to take children ten miles through the snow.	SchoolBuses.info Manufacturers Types Safety Toy School Buses