Evening star., 1935-04-12
MARYLAND. LACKS
SCHOOL BUS LAW
Measure on Calendar OF
Next Legislature Would
Have Prevented Wreck.

The fact that school bus lines are
not chartered nor required to have
permit to operate in Maryland made
It possible for the bus en- route through
Rockville last night to drive without
violating any law. into the grade cross
ing where IA of its passengers lost
their lives.
Enactment of model motor vehicle
law for the State. which would have
expressly forbidden school busses to
cross a grade crossing without first
coming to a full stop. is on the cal
endar of the Maryland Legislature for
action at the next session, 1t was
stated today by John E. Raine, chair
man of the special commission ap-
pointed by Gov. Nice to draft the
model motor vehicle code.
"If such law had been in effect" "
Mr.. Ralne said today, II feel sure last
nights accident would not have oc-
Cured"
The model code containing the pro-
vision which would have required the
stopping of school busses was intro
duced only a short time before the
adjournment of the Maryland Legis-
lature and was not reached during
the past session.
Chartered Buses Must Stop.
The Maryland Public Service Com
mission requires all regularly char
tered busses within the State and all
interstate vehicles to make full
stop" at the approach to all grade
crossings. This regulation has been
in effect since January l, 1928. 1t
applies only to vehicles under the
commissions regulation and does not
apply to privately owned motor cars
or school buses.
In Virginia the motor vehicle code
adopted in 1884 requires full stop
for school buSses, but does not make
the requirement for other vehicles.
Instead, the only other regulation is
a general provision requiring all
motor cars to slow down to five miles
per hour upon approaching a grade
crossing. There are no special regu-
lations Of the kind on common carrier
lines.
Bus companies, however, operating
out of washington have adopted a
policy that makes the company regu-
lations stricter than required by
either of the two neighboring States
Drivers Must Open Door.
Intradistrict and interstate busses
are required to come to complete
stop, the driver must open the door
and look in both directions before
crossing For emergency purposes the
door is left open until the bus clears
the tracks. One line even requires
the drivers to leave the bus to look in
both directions for the approach OF
trains.
The Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion, 1t was pointed out, has not Is
sued any safety regulations for bus
lines because of lack of authority.
So far as State regulation is con-
cerned throughout the country, regu-
to regular bus lines for hire and not
to school lines, except where State
boards Of education have adopted spe-
cial regulations.
Stop Laws in IS States.
The National Conference on Street
and Highway Safety, in its model uni
form laws, has regulation requiring
special caution on the part of drivers
Of school busses.
The American Automobile Associa-
ton said today that in IS States, by
State motor vehicle law, or by regula-
ton Of State departments of public
education, school buses must come to
q full stop before entering a grade
crossing. One State requires only
that they slow down. Twelve States,
including Maryland, have no law.
There are two methods by which
school buses may be legally required
to stop under the laws of any State,
the American Automobile Association
said. One Is by law in the State
vehicle code, the other by regula-
ton by the department of public edu-
cation, which has to do with the
making Of contracts for student bus
service