Student Safety
Student Safety

Fulton Schools checks bus drivers’ records, but does it keep your child safe?

A driver faces charges after causing a fiery school bus crash Thursday morning, March 30, 2017 Sandy Springs police said. Students walked away with only bumps and bruises in the accident, which shut down most of Roswell Road, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

A driver faces charges after causing a fiery school bus crash Thursday morning, March 30, 2017 Sandy Springs police said. Students walked away with only bumps and bruises in the accident, which shut down most of Roswell Road, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.
By Marlon A. Walker
April 10, 2017

The Fulton County School System checks the driving records of its school bus drivers once a month, using that data to determine whether they should be allowed to stay on the road.

ExploreBut there’s no evidence the school system or others in metro Atlanta are using data collected on bus accidents to make students safer as they are carried to and from school daily.

The crash happened on Roswell Road at Glenridge Drive in Sandy Springs Thursday morning.

Fulton County’s bus accident data shows seven drivers with three or more citations between 2012 and 2016. Of those drivers, two no longer are employed by the district.

“We can and will recommend termination depending on number and more importantly, type of offenses/citations adjudicated within a 3-year period,” spokeswoman Susan Hale said. “However, if citations are minor and far apart, we may not recommend termination.”

LEARN MORE: METRO SCHOOL BUS SAFETY DATA 

The district buses more than 79,000 of its more than 94,000 students to and from school, with 868 total drivers and more than 760 buses hitting the road daily.

Several students were treated for injuries after an accident Thursday where a school bus was hit by a car while stopped at a traffic light.

About the Author

Marlon A. Walker is an education reporter covering DeKalb County.

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