NHTSA Press Release: Safety Recalls Cover 11.500 School Buses

08/23/96

NHTSA Announces Safety Recalls Covering 11,500 School Buses


WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that Blue Bird Body
Company and Harsco Corporation will recall a total of 11,500 school
buses that do not meet the federal motor vehicle safety standard for
fuel system integrity.

NHTSA Administrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D., said that during crash
tests conducted by the agency in June 1996, a 1995 Blue Bird "All
American" school bus and a 1995 Wayne "Lifestar" school bus exceeded
the maximum allowable fuel leakage prescribed in the
standard. Subsequently, the manufacturers filed reports advising the
agency that each would conduct a safety recall campaign to repair the
buses. Harsco is taking responsibility for the recall of the Wayne
buses.

The agency stated that while the buses that were tested did not comply
with the standard, it is not aware of any crashes involving these
models in which there was a fuel system fire. Additionally,
Dr. Martinez emphasized that the risk of fatal injury to children in a
school bus is four times less than in a passenger car, making it one
of the safest forms of ground transportation. However, despite the
vehicles' safe operational record, the recall is necessary to ensure
that they meet the requirement for fuel system integrity, he stated.

Dr. Martinez said that both manufacturers currently are developing
modifications to remedy these problems.  When design and testing of
the modifications are completed, Blue Bird and Harsco will formally
notify school bus owners and repair the buses at no charge. NHTSA will
work with the manufacturers to ensure the notices are sent as early as
possible.

According to Dr. Martinez, "The safety record of school buses compared
to other forms of pupil transportation is outstanding. Other ways of
getting children to school expose them to safety risks many times
greater than travel in a school bus. Every year, 370,000 of these
buses travel 3.5 billion miles to transport 22 million children to and
from school and school activities. On a per-vehicle mile basis, no
other form of school transportation offers the same level of safety."

Parents or others who have questions about this or any other motor
vehicle recall can call NHTSA's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at
800-424-9393.

An electronic version of this document can be obtained via the World
Wide Web at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov or
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/index.html