Interpretation ID: nht92-8.14

DATE: March 30, 1992

FROM: Gerald A. Guertin

TO: Samuel Skinner -- Secretary of Transportation

TITLE: None

ATTACHMT: Attached to letter dated 5/27/92 from Paul J. Rice to Gerald A. Guertin (A39; Part 571.3)

TEXT:

The purpose of this letter is to inquire as to the likely hood of a response to the attached letter which I wrote eight months ago. I am a school teacher and coach, and continue to wonder why vans are prohibited in Florida for the transport of school children. I am told that it has someting to do with safety.

The kindness of a reply from you would be appreciated.

Attachment

To: National Highway Traffic & Safety Assoc.

400 Seventh St., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20590

July 26, 1991

Dear Folks:

I am a school teacher in FLorida. The purpose of this letter is request that you verify or modify what I believe to be the reasons we cannot use 9- to 15-passenger vans in the transport of school children.

Background:

a. Presently, 7-person rifle teams, 8-person cheerleader squads, 11-person science clubs, etc. are prohibited from van transport (as are all Florida school children), forcing them to be transported in gas-guzzling, 37-passenger school busses at a gas-consumption rate of 4 miles per gallon. These clubs have to raise their own gas money through fund raising. Naturally, we'd get more trips for the buck if we were travelling in more economical vans.

b. Lore has it that seven years ago a van tipped over in southern Florida, killing a cheerleader. Prior to that, we travelled in vnas. Apparently, van roof standards were not what they should be. Your office then came forward with the need for "acceptability of crash-worthy tests" for vans, but the cost of developing and performing such tests were placed on the MANUFACTURER. (Seems strange to me).

GMC, Ford, Chrysler, as van manufacturers, decIded that they were already selling enough vans to the private consumer sector, and didn't need the school van business - at least not enough to fund heretofore unneeded tests.

c. What is holding up progress, the, is not a determination that school vans are unsafe, but rather that there are no standards to say that they ARE safe.

Question:

Does that pretty well describe the status quo? I want to push for the return of school vans, but want to be sure of the background before I begin. Please write me an explanation of events to date so I may more accurately begin my quest. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Gerald A. Guertin 6800 Kitty Hawk Dr. Pensacola, FL 32506