Maximum Age Only eight States have established a maximum age for school bus drivers, one at 55, three at 60, and two at 65, and two at 70. One other State, West Virginia, requires a semiannual physical examination instead of an annual examination for school bus drivers over 50 years of age. In these nine States requirements concerning upper age limits are established by regulation of the State board of education and not by law. Since Noble1 reported in 1939 that only six States recommended or set an upper age limit, there seems to be little evidence of a trend toward the establishment of such limits. Experience Twenty-two States have established some requirement concerning the experience of school bus drivers. Ten of the 22 require one year driving experience; Nevada requires a year of driving experience if under 18 years of age; Maryland requires 1 year of driving experience if the driver is under 21; and Delaware says the applicant must hold a chauffeur's license. The requirement in New Mexico is for 2 years or 10,000 miles of driving experience, and in Indiana the requirement is 2 years of experience. Connecticut has the most drastic of all requirements, 4 years of driving without revocation of license for cause. In Kentucky, South Carolina, and Virginia the statement is general, such as that the driver must be an experienced driver, although the regulations in Kentucky say, that "because of the vast difference between operating an automobile and a regular school bus loaded with pupils, the bus driver shall satisfy the employing authority of his ability to drive a school bus." Illinois and Minnesota require experience in the handling of large vehicles. North Carolina says that the driver must be fully trained in the handling of motor vehicles. Character Twenty-eight States have included in their laws or regulations some requirement concerning the character of school bus drivers. In nine States the bus driver is required to file a character statement signed by three people, and in two others such a certificate is required if the driver is under 18 years of age. Montana requires that a bus driver have a certificate of good character signed by the trustees of the local school. Sixteen States have some very general requirement, such as that the school bus driver must be "competent and responsible" or "thoroughly reliable and of good repute." 1 Noble, M. C. S. Jr. Pupil Transportation in the United States. Scranton, Pa., International Textbook Co., 1940. p. 363. Physical Condition Twenty-one States include in the requirements for school bus drivers some statement concerning the physical condition of the driver. The most common requirement, found in 12 States, is that the driver must have normal use of both hands, both feet, both eyes, and both ears. Another fairly common statement is that the driver shall be able-bodied, free from communicable disease, and strong enough to handle a bus. Other States have some general statement, such as "the bus driver must be sound in body and mind." Special License Twenty States require all drivers of school buses to hold a special license, one State requires a special license for drivers under 21, and two States require a special license for drivers under 18. In six States this license is issued by some school authority, such as the local superintendent or board of education, the county superintentent, or the State superintendent, or jointly by two of these school authorities. In 16 States it is issued by the regular licensing authority, such as the motor vehicle department. In North Carolina it is issued jointly by the regular licensing authority and a county school official. There is no common pattern for the requirements for this special license to drive a school bus. The requirements most commonly found are that the applicant must hold a regular driver's license, that he must have attained a specified minimum age, that he must undergo a physical examination, a written or oral examination, and a driving test. Other requirements are concerned with experience, character, and information about the work to be performed by the driver. In one State the special license is simply permission, granted by the local board of education, to drive a school bus. First Aid In 1939 Noble 2 reported only one State which required a bus driver to have some knowledge of first-aid. However, there are now nine States with such a requirement. In five States the driver must qualify for a first-aid certificate, such as the standard first-aid certificate issued by the American Red Cross. In the other four States the requirement is general, such as "the driver shall give evidence of a knowledge of first-aid." Physical Examination In addition to the foregoing rather general requirements there are in most States other requirements which usually involve some kind of an examination. Requirements of this nature are summarized in Ibid., p. 353. 689110-463 table II. This kind of requirement is becoming more common although the requirements for written or oral examinations and for a performance test usually apply to all drivers rather than specifically to drivers of school buses. One such requirement is concerned with some kind of physical examination. There are now 14 States in which a general physical examination by a physician is required for a school bus driver. These requirements are imposed usually by State departments of education or motor vehicle departments, but sometimes they are required by law of all drivers of passenger-carrying buses. Ten of these 14 States require an eye test to obtain a driver's license, although such a test is usually included in the general physical examination which is prescribed. Connecticut and Wisconsin require an eye test to obtain a driver's license; Connecticut requires a general physical examination if the driver is over 65; and Wisconsin requires a general physical examination if the driver is over 60. Delaware requires an eye test and a hearing test to obtain a chauffeur's license and a general physical examination if the driver is over 65. Alabama requires an eye test and a hearing test to obtain an operator's license, and an examination for tuberculosis. In 21 other States the applicant for an operator's license must take an eye test, and in 3 of these 21 he must also take a hearing test. These tests are given by the licensing agency. In the remaining 9 States a school bus driver is not required to take any kind of examination to determine physical fitness. In 3 of these 9, however, the requirements contain some such general statement as that the bus driver must be able-abodied, free from communicable disease, and strong enough to handle a school bus. |