Typically, a recall is a product that is removed from the market or a correction made to the product because it is either defective or potentially harmful. When we are talking about a school bus recall, it may be because it violates the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard during safety checks. In other cases, school bus recalls may be due to a design flaw or design defect in some part of the school bus, which means that it isn’t working as it should which can result endanger the lives of young children. In serious school bus recalls, the manufacturer will urge that the bus be taken out-of-service until the problem is fixed. This is usually a very rare occurrence.
Manufacturers may also recall a school bus for non-safety related issues. In this case, the NHTSA is not notified.
Possible examples of unsafe school bus safety problems include leaking fuel tanks (can cause fire), problem with the steering shaft tube and driver’s seat shock damper being prone to breakage (which can unexpectedly drop to the floor, thus causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle).
Types of School Bus Recalls
Due to the precious cargo that school-buses carry, they must be held to the highest levels of safety. School bus transportation remains one of the most safest methods of transportation for schoolchildren. School bus recalls may be voluntary or mandatory.
Voluntary recalls can occur when the manufacturer decides to issue to recall on their own. School buses are required to have the same fire safety standards as passenger cars.
Under the compulsory recall, the government is mandating that the manufacturer take the bus out of service in order to keep school children safe.
To know if a particular school bus model has been recalled, concerned parents can use: http://wemakeitsafer.com/vehicle-recall/Us-Bus-School-Bus-Recall-8601720.
Of course, for school buses that have been widely distributed, the news media may announce it in the media (newspaper, television news report).
Concerned parents may also track school bus recalls on www.recalls.gov.
Once you have discovered that a school bus has been recalled, you should follow the instructions of the recall.
If you haven’t done so, register to receive a comprehensive list of recalled vehicles on NHTSA’s Recall Notification Email system: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/subscriptions/.
Additionally, if you have a safety problem or complaint, you may also file a complaint on the same page as a courtesy for other consumers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has jurisdiction on highway safety including school buses. It monitors aspects of child safety seats, tires and motor vehicles and other related equipment.
