Have you been injured? you may have a case. GET A FREE CONSULTATION

Michigan School Bus Driver Training: What Is Required And Is It Enough?

October 31, 2023 by Steven M. Gursten

Michigan school bus driver training: Is it enough?

A CDL and about 10 hours of training, and most school bus drivers are good to go under federal and Michigan law

As a featured speaker at a legal conference for injury attorneys who litigate serious truck injury and bus accident cases, I pointed out how the Michigan school bus driver training regulations are set to a lower standard and school bus drivers are exempt from many important federal safety laws that other commercial motor vehicle carriers and drivers must follow.

This makes no sense.

As I have stated previously, “If children are our “most precious cargo,” shouldn’t mandatory safety regulations that apply to other commercial vehicles like 18-wheelers also apply to school buses?” Today I’d like to focus more on the school bus driver.

Amazingly, even though these Michigan school bus drivers are entrusted with driving our children, they too have a lower level of safety training criteria than drivers of trucks and even of other commercial bus lines such as Greyhound.

This is not to pick on school bus drivers. Many that I’ve met really enjoy and care deeply about their jobs. But as a Michigan attorney and safety advocate, I don’t understand the lower level of school bus driver training and safety regulations they have when compared to commercial bus lines. I’ve now spoken at well over a hundred legal conferences and seminars, teaching lawyers from all over the country about how to litigate bus accident cases and trucking cases, and to this day I still have yet to find anyone that can explain to me why the Michigan school bus drivers who carry our young children to school have less training than a bus driver who drives a commercial bus line, or why a truck driver who carries televisions or lettuce has to comply with a higher level of mandatory safety regulations than a school bus driver.

We discussed this at a trucking conference where I was asked to speak on holding various entities accountable when school bus drivers cause accidents. It’s important to raise these issues. It’s important for parents to know the lower level of driving and training requirements that Michigan school bus drivers must undergo. It’s one of those questions that isn’t being asked before we send our children running for the big yellow school bus, and for all of us to question, “how does this make sense?”

As an accident lawyer, I’ve personally litigated several tragic school bus accident cases over the past two decades. Due to the Michigan school bus driver training rules and from experience, it’s not that much of an exaggeration to say nearly anybody can drive school buses, or stand in as substitute bus drivers. Typically, it’s part-time workers who receive no benefits. Many are people looking to kill time, or retirees or homemakers looking to supplement household income. But they are doing this by being entrusted with driving these very big, heavy and difficult to turn buses with lots of “no zones” (blind spots) and with little children who may be out of lines of sight who are running to or from these big yellow buses.

What are the Michigan school bus driver training rules?

In Michigan, as for the training for school bus drivers, a bus driver must hold a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) with a school bus endorsement. Often this means less than 10 hours of training.

School bus drivers are also exempt from the following Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations:

  • Driver qualification (including physical qualification and medical certification) regulations.
  • Hours-of-service regulations.
  • Vehicle maintenance and repair rules.
  • Bus inspection program requirements.
  • Vehicle operation regulations.
  • Insurance and registration regulations.

Again, I fail to understand, not just as a bus accident lawyer but also as a father, why Michigan school bus driver training is set to a lower standard and how school bus drivers -he very people we as parents entrust the safety of our children to – are exempt from many of the exact same safety regulations that we think are important enough to apply to commercial bus drivers and truck drivers transporting commercial goods.

Injured in a school bus accident in Michigan? Call now

If you were injured in a school bus accident in Michigan, call (800) 968-1001 now for a free consultation with an experienced bus accident lawyer. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.

Michigan Auto Law is Michigan’s largest and most successful law firm that specializes exclusively in helping people who have been injured in auto accidents.

Our secret? Our attorneys deliberately handle fewer cases than other personal injury law firms.  This allows us to focus more time and attention on our cases.

Unlike other law firms, our attorneys are never too busy to promptly return phone calls and answer questions. 

We have more than 2,000 5-Star Reviews that reflect this care and attention to detail.

More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. Michigan Auto Law has recovered more million-dollar settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle accidents than any other lawyer or law firm in Michigan. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported truck accident and car accident settlement in the state.

Call now so we can start making a real difference for you.

Michigan School Bus Driver Training: What Is Required And Is It Enough?
Related Posts
What happens if my friend crashes my car in Michigan?
My Friend Crashed My Car In Michigan FAQs: Here’s What To Know
September 20, 2024
Suing someone after a car accident in Michigan
Suing Someone After A Car Accident In Michigan: FAQs Answered
September 17, 2024
How long after a car accident can symptoms appear?
How Long After a Car Accident Can Injuries Appear?
September 16, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Email