About Us - Safety & Value - FAQs of Thomas Built Buses

Question: Is a Freightliner chassis the only chassis choice for a new Thomas conventional school bus?

Answer: Yes. Due to the outstanding features of the Freightliner chassis, demand for a Thomas body mounted on other brands of conventional chassis has declined significantly. Continuing to produce low volume models increases manufacturing and support costs to Thomas and its dealer organization because there are numerous exclusive parts required to interface with various chassis brands. Continuous improvement of our processes will ensure the level of quality you expect and deserve from a Thomas Built bus. So that we can focus our efforts on delivering the finest integrated conventional bus on the market, we are only accepting orders for Freightliner/Thomas conventionals.

Question: Are school buses really safer than a passenger car?

Answer: Yes. According to National Safety Council Statistics, School buses are 172 times safer than passenger cars in terms of occupant deaths per 100 million passenger miles traveled. In fact, school buses rank much better than any other form of surface transportation.

Question: How many school buses are in service nationwide and how many students ride them?

Answer: Approximately 450,000 school buses transport 25 million students about 23 million miles...every school day!

Question: Why are school buses yellow?

Answer: This distinct color is called "National School Bus Yellow." It has been the standard color for school buses built after 1977 due to its high visibility characteristics. The color is immediately recognizable to motorist who should always proceed with caution when near a school bus.

Question: Is a day care center required to use a school bus to transport children?

Answer: Recently, school bus law interpretations have been extended to any group that regularly transports children to and from school or school related activities. It is a violation of federal law for a new car dealer to sell a van to anyone that will transport children to and from school or school related activities. Some states specifically require day care centers and private schools to use school buses. Contact your state officials or your insurance carrier for more information.

Question: When should I stop for a school bus?

Answer: Specific laws vary from state to state. Generally speaking, another vehicle must not pass a stopped school bus from any direction if the bus is displaying a stop arm and flashing red lights while passengers are boarding or discharging or crossing the roadway. Check with local authorities for specific laws in your state.

Question: What are the main differences between a conventional bus and a transit-style bus?

Answer: A conventional bus, built on a "cowl" chassis with the engine forward, is a lower-priced bus than a transit style bus, which has the flat front and engine either in the front or rear.

While durable, reliable and filled with safety features, a conventional style bus can be less maneuverable than a flat-front, transit bus. A transit-style can also provide more passenger room, making it a good choice for dense routes, especially in tight urban areas. Conventional buses by far make up the majority of school bus sales. But more and more, schools are choosing the larger transit-style buses for many of the reasons mentioned above.

Question: Do you have to have a commercial driver's license to drive a Minotour, one of your smaller buses?

Answer: A commercial driver's license is required if you are driving a vehicle capable of carrying more than 15 passengers, or if you are driving a vehicle carrying more than 11 passengers to and from school or a school-related activity. Some states have additional requirements for drivers. Thomas' Minotours typically carry more passengers and thus require the driver to possess a valid commercial driver's license. At Thomas, we encourage anyone transporting children for a public or private organization to obtain a commercial driver's license and take any special school bus training that a state or school district requires.

Question: What is the bumper mounted gate on the front of the bus for?

Answer: This optional feature is called a "Crossing Control Arm". It extends when the bus is boarding or discharging passengers to encourage students to walk several feet away from the front of the bus. This is designed to help keep students in the bus driver's direct line of sight.

Question: What is the Thomas position on lap belts in large school buses?

Answer: Thomas Built Buses, Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture of school buses that incorporate proven, state-of-the-art features to protect passengers in the event of a crash. School bus transportation is one of the safest forms of transportation in the U.S., in part because of the stringent safety requirements and many heavy-duty design features of the modern school bus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during 2000, twelve passengers died in school bus crashes; compared to the 8,027 children (ages 5-20) who died in all vehicle crashes. Since 1990, on the average, approximately eight passengers per year die in school bus crashes; compared to more than 41,000 overall annual traffic fatalities.

Compartmentalization is one effective technique that Thomas Built uses to protect occupants in the event of a school bus crash. Adding padded seats with energy-absorbing backs and placing them in a close and geometrical configuration creates a protective envelope that provides measurable crash protection. The NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards mandate this configuration as well as many other safety requirements to improve protection in rollovers and impact crashes, including, emergency exits, reinforced roof structures, protected fuel systems, and strong body joints.

Thomas Built also provides lap seat belts for customers who specify them. This currently includes customers in Florida, New Jersey, and New York. Thomas Built and Freightliner support the NHTSA in its efforts to establish the "Next Generation Safety Research Plan" for school buses and will support the NHTSA and other federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, as research and analysis is conducted on school bus crashworthiness. Thomas Built and Freightliner are committed to proactively improving the safety of children and other school bus passengers.