The two accidents discussed in this report involved privately-owned and privately-operated schoolbuses that were hired to transport children to and from public school facilities. In the Miami, Florida, accident the schoolbus was hired by the parents. In the Birmingham, Alabama, accident the schoolbus was under contract to the city public school system. Both accident buses seated 36 or more persons and were built before the enactment of the 1977 Federal schoolbus standards for improved crashworthiness and occupant protection. Both accident buses had preexisting mechanical discrepancies that were causal in each accident, and neither vehicle had been inspected recently by the State. State and local school officials exercised little program supervision over the schoolbuses involved in the accidents and had left the responsibility for driver training and vehicle maintenance to the discretion of the vehicle owners. The Safety Board reviewed policies and regulations governing pupil transportation on privately-owned and privately-operated schoolbuses to identify areas where safety improvements could be made.
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