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Michigan schoolboys drivers -strobe question

R

RayP(MI)

Well-known Member
A few years ago, schools were scrambling to put white roof mounted strobes on every bus. Now, I'm not seeing them on some busses. Are they still required? Are they forgetting to turn them on?

Those questions asked, I always thought they were less than an ideal setup. Being high as they were in the middle of the bus. They were often not visable to drivers of lower vehicles, unless they were a fair distance away. Today's busses with roof vents. roof mounted air conditioners and rear air deflectors are even worse. Have thought they should have one on each end of the bus, front and back. My hats off to the bus mechanics who fabricated brackets to prevent lights from being wiped off by low hanging tree limbs.
 
Not required by the MTO here in Ontario. Divisions that do use them have then turned on only when the bus is on an active route. This gives drivers a warning that the bus will be stopping to load/unload children and to drive accordingly.

Ben
 
I've said this before but needs repeating. I don't know why they don't make the stop arms 30 ft. long. After all you have the whole side of the bus to fold it up against. That way when extended it would
cover the whole road and if someone was going to blow by it they would get their windshield broken. Should make it easier for the cops to catch them. ---Did you get the license number? No but it is a red
car with a broken windshield---
 
It has been half a dozen years since I drove. But the strobes were not required equipment and it was up to the discretion of the driver whether to turn it on or not.
 

At least SOME of the school buses here in Iowa are equipped with those strobe lights. They are very effective. On foggy days, you can see that strobe light long before you can see the other lights on the bus.
 
Not a federal d.o.t. requirement.
Up to the states to make it a requirement.
Also up to the bus service if operating in a state where they are not required.
 
(quoted from post at 17:51:54 12/20/20) I've said this before but needs repeating. I don't know why they don't make the stop arms 30 ft. long. After all you have the whole side of the bus to fold it up against. That way when extended it would
cover the whole road and if someone was going to blow by it they would get their windshield broken. Should make it easier for the cops to catch them. ---Did you get the license number? No but it is a red
car with a broken windshield---
Click to expand...

I can think of one reason. The bus driver hit her's on my mailbox as she came around the corner, knocking my mailbox off the post and leaving pieces of the light on the ground in my driveway.
 
(quoted from post at 20:20:14 12/20/20) Ive always wondered how people can't see a big YELLOW bus and pass one while stopped and unloading or hit it anyway.
Click to expand...

Same question goes for cop cars, ambulances, firetrucks, etc. With every light flashing and strobing horizontal and on the shoulder even.
Yet there are people running into them.
 
At last call the biggest thing with school buses running strobe lights was color. The concern being that the bus isnt mistaken for an emergency vehicle. There is structure in place to allow county to rule in michigan but no one wants to drop the $$$ to instill all lights the same. State cars red strobe, county cars red and blue. Fire trucks red and white. Road commissions have finally accepted green and yellow. There is call to mandate snow plows to 1 color, paper/mail vehicles to one color and wreckers a color. The goal is that as you are approaching you will recognize what you are approaching so you are aware what you will no what your getting into. Safety for cops, tow trucks, fire fighters ect. I got to set in on some state level stuff like this when I worked at local county bus service. Dial a ride. The state had oked us to use the light but then revoked them. They wouldnt pay to dismantle but just stopped installing them.
 
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