Future school buses used in the state could have an extra safety device.
Sponsored by Rep. Larry Howes (R-Walker),
HF392 would require all school buses used in the state that are manufactured after Jan. 1, 2012, to be equipped with a crossing control arm on the front right bumper that automatically expands out whenever the bus is stopped and the flashing red lights are in use.
Passed 133-1 by the House May 16, the bill awaits action by the full Senate. Sen. Pam Wolf (R-Spring Lake Park) is the Senate sponsor.
It costs about $300-$350 for a new bus to have the approximately 8-foot arm, a small price, supporters say, to help keep children safe. If an elementary school student is too close to a bus, the driver may not see them over the hood.
Howes said many buses in the Twin Cities metropolitan area already have such a crossing arm, partially because districts require them in bus operator contracts, but it is rare in northern Minnesota.
The bill also adopts five 2010 federal standards for buses: fenderette color, seat cushion depth, the placement of auxiliary fans, permissive authority for the placement of cameras on buses and a requirement that Type III vehicles must contain at least three red reflectorized triangle road warning devices instead of the old burning pot-type flares.
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