Rear wheel guards on buses could save pedestrians (and cyclists)

According to a story in today's STLToday, "A piece of plastic sometimes called a 'cow-catcher' might have saved the life of 10-year-old Donnell Q. Robinson. . . ." Robinson was crushed by a school bus's rear wheels this week when he stepped from the curb as the bus was passing.

The device scoops pedestrians aside and prevents them from being crushed by the rear wheels of the bus.
In March 2002, Susie Stephens, a nationally known pedestrian advocate, was killed by the right rear tire of a turning tour bus outside the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The bus driver said he did not see her. Stephens, 36, was in town for a transportation conference.

In August in Sikeston, Mo., 6-year-old Kristen Harris was crushed after falling under the rear wheel of school bus she was running after.

"It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible," said Sikeston schools Superintendent Steve Borgsmiller.

An executive for Atlantic Express, which operates 600 school bus routes in St. Louis city and county [including the bus that killed Robinson], said he had not heard of the Gard and has no plans to install anything similar. . . .

"We meet whatever the local and federal requirements are," said Dave Benware, the company's regional vice president.

Missouri state Rep. Larry Crawford, R-Centertown, chairman of the House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee, said the Legislature has the power to pass a law requiring school buses to install guards over the rear wheel.

"Yeah, that's something we can do," Crawford said. "I'd be glad to look into it."


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