Physical and cognitive capabilities of children during operation and evacuation of a school bus emergency roof hatch

While many school bus routes exclusively transport kindergarten, first, and second grade (K-2) children, school bus emergency exits are designed based on the physical capabilities of an average adult male. This makes the usability of emergency exits less than optimal for K-2 children. The objective of this study was to determine if children in (K-2) are capable of opening and evacuating from a school bus roof hatch in an emergency rollover scenario. Maximum push force exertions of 91 K-2 students were measured during operation of a typical school bus emergency roof hatch (designed to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard [FMVSS] No. 217 specifications). Ability to read and comprehend emergency-related words and roof hatch operating instructions was also evaluated for 58 students. Forty-two percent (42%) of kindergarten students were unable to exert the maximum permissible design force (89 N) necessary to operate the roof hatch. Only 20% of the participants in kindergarten were able to open the roof hatch. In a controlled environment, the majority of students (96%) were willing and able to self-extricate through the opening. However, only 33% of students had the cognitive skills necessary to understand how to open the roof hatch. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of participants who completed both the physical and cognitive aspects of the study were unable to successfully operate the school bus roof hatch.