This past weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the tragic school bus accident on Monarch Pass near Gunnison, Colorado in which eight high school football players and their coach were killed. This accident occurred on September 11, 1971, en route to a football game in Salida when the bus experienced brake failure causing the fatalities and leaving the small town of Gunnison reeling.
Read the full story of the memorial event HERE.
This event on September 11, 1971, would change the passenger safety standards in the years to come. Significant flaws were found in the design of the school bus, one of which was the lack of a strong “superstructure” which likely would have kept the roof from collapsing, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Following this event, a statewide committee was formed to create minimum standards for bus safety. Paul Medina, the Gunnison district’s transportation manager at the time, served on the committee. Many improvements were made such as adding stronger side posts that had failed in the crash, as well as lengthwise roof panels to eliminate the danger of crushing metal and increasing the number of rivets and reducing the space between them. Hydraulic brakes were eliminated, and air brakes were mandated on large buses. In addition, retarder systems and auxiliary braking requirements were also added, and 2-speed axels were eliminated.
What we have learned from this tragic event led to the Colorado Rack Test which in 1971 was implemented to help test the structural integrity of a school bus. If a school bus should roll over, the Colorado Rack Test ensures that the strength of the passenger cage is tough enough to withstand a rollover accident. For a school bus to be in compliance with the Colorado Rack Test, the structure of the bus cannot deflect more than 5⅛ inches, and all emergency exits must still be operational. This requirement was adopted by the Colorado Department of Education.
Bus safety has made large strides over the years. Colorado/West Equipment, Inc. and Nebraska/Central Equipment, Inc. have always made passenger safety our top priority. In fact, a long-standing representative of Colorado/West Equipment, Inc. served on the committee to write the state safety standards in 1973. We remain committed to customer satisfaction and look forward to serving your passenger needs. Contact us today.