Death Zones (1975)

[Music] the film you are about to see is about school bus safety if it saves just one life it will have been worth the time the students can you remember the first time you drew a picture for someone special remember the way you felt the joy The Pride the feeling of accomplishment can you remember how eager you were to get home and show your Masterpiece to an older member of your family that's really nice Mii your mother's going to like that well that's the way Mii Quan felt she just couldn't wait for school to end Mii Quan was bursting inside to get home and show her mother the Valentine she made for [Music] her like thousands of other children in her County Mii Kuan and her sister give very little thought to the ride to and from school on there after all that's Frank Green's job your step and Frank Green's been driving the school bus safely for more than 15 years and it'll be the same today until one of these students forgets to be cautious and enters one of the danger areas around the bus where drivers have difficulty seeing students be careful now watch your step but even though Frank green has a perfect safety record to date and regularly attends all driver training workshops the ride home today will not be a safe one for at least one of the Riders on this bus you see before this ride is over one of the students on this bus will be killed in one of the death zones [Music] [Applause] [Music] way back there my [Music] yes Frank green considered a careful driver with a safety record second to none in his County not a scratch or a crunch in all his years of driving a combination of factors will ruin Frank Green's safety record and snuff out the life of one of the children on this bus [Music] and it will happen even though Frank Green's bus has the latest safety devices wide angle side mirrors and seat belts for the driver and it will happen not while the bus is traveling but when the bus is stopped and one of the children enters one of the death zones what are the death zones this box around the bus when it stops to load and unload passengers shows you where the death zones are located the death zones are areas around the outside of the bus in which drivers have difficulty seeing students if you find you must cross in front of the bus wait for the driver to tell you to go across unless otherwise instructed in your school district make sure you cross outside this area about 10 Giant Steps make sure you can see the driver's face before you cross always check for traffic especially any blocked by the bus never cross behind the bus the way this fellow's doing the driver and approaching traffic cannot see you when you are hidden by the bus and if you must walk close to the sides of the bus stay far enough away so you won't slip under the wheels if you fall if you can touch the sides of the bus you're too close Frank has been trained to be aware of what can happen in the death zones not only at a bus stop but at school or any area students get on or off the bus the students know too having been taught about the dangers that can occur in the death zones yet even though they may be aware of what can happen they sometimes forget or get careless when they have something else on their minds and that is what will happen even though Frank uses the eight light system with flashing yellow lights warning traffic he is about to stop even though he uses this stop arm and has a member of the school patrol helping little children off the bus those Crossing in front of the bus look to Frank for assistance as they take their proper position 10 or more steps in front they know if they can can see his face Frank can see them checking traffic he lets them cross and if they drop something they've been trained not to pick it up continuing across they wait for the patrol to get it or if there is no Patrol they have been taught to wait until the bus passes and have someone older pick it up for them before driving away Frank makes sure that the girl walking down the side of the bus is far enough away from the wheels [Music] And So It Goes stop after stop for most of the trip until Mii Quan anxious to show her Valentine to her mother forgets to be cautious a Pok and fun triggers a fight the safety patrol as usual takes her place Frank checks for traffic looks in the mirror and keeps track of each of the children as they go across here here I said stop it trying to stop the horse play Frank green will not notice that the Valentine has fallen on the ground he turns only to see the mother greet the girls and signals the safety patrol to return to the bus finding the Valentine missing Mii runs back Frank yelling at the boys doesn't see her and starts [Music] up remember life is a wonderful thing a great adventure for those who are alive never do what meiwan did if you drop something in front of a school bus never run back to pick it up be cautious if you must enter one of the death zones my although an investigation will determine the factors which caused this accident the findings will mean little to this girl's mother since Mii will never be able to make another Valentine again be careful doubly careful getting on or off the bus stay away from the death [Music] zone if you think our story is over you're mistaken because now we'd like you to follow a second bus a bus that's also doomed for disaster a bus filled with students bigger than the children you saw on the first bus older and wiser in many ways yet before their ride is over tragedy will occur because someone didn't think and forgot about the death zones the driver Elanor W smoking back there mother of two Junior High School AG students herself knows that Junior High School students are not always predictable surveys taken of school bus drivers and Pupil Transportation directors confirm her views and reveal that of all the group's riding school buses Junior High School students give them the most trouble and are responsible for more problems on school buses than any other group driving this age group for over 12 years Elenor worth knows they have to have a oh my and overlooks a lot that goes on that's harmless but she also can anticipate potential trouble [Music] elor you're [Applause] ugly H Point these two boys on a bike sensing trouble Eleanor tells the girls wanting to cross in front of the bus to wait in her mirror she watches to see what the boys on the bike are going to do when they don't leave the Zone get your head back in the window you kids get away from the bus with your bikes go on now I'm not moving it until you leave now go on the rear wheels are no place for games once they clear the danger zones and move on she returns to her seat checks traffic and instructs the girls waiting in front to cross they should have gone straight across the street instead of diagonally she checks traffic and waits until she's certain that they are safe to the Cross house giv so much H hey the boy in the back is Chris Thompson the class clown but a mean bone in his body what's going on Chris what what we do I didn't do nothing I don't do nothing she did it she did it I yes she did what do you call that Chris what's it going around all of you I don't know I guess the fog roll down the aisle and you know we we hit a bump and it flew all over the place yet somewhere down the road his actions will contribute to an accident that will handicap Tony hoer for the rest of his days and shake the driver's confidence for the rest of hers it will happen even though most of the students get off carefully and stay outside the death zones when they walk down the side or wait for Eleanor to tell them to go across the street and it will happen at the next stop watch [Music] [Music] [Applause] Elanor keeps her eyes on them as they walk past the side of the bus give it to me she sees that they've gone around the back she checks the girl Crossing in front watches the boys as they come around the other side this is something they've never done before Elanor worth yells at them away they ignore her instructions Chris accidentally knocks Tony Wheeler's books to the ground in his haste to get away from the bus Tony grabs all of the books but one Elanor checks her mirrors the traffic for an instant she's distracted by somebody else in the bus missing his book Tony runs back what are you doing another distraction inside she starts up oh my God and Tony becomes another victim in the death zones Gravely injured for the rest of his life avoid playing or walking too close to the bus stay away from the rear wheels Tony wheeler didn't learn from his mistake okay you say tragic but this couldn't happen to anyone in senior high school if so how come a safety report reveals that in one typical year 1973 out of the 73 students that were killed in the loading and unloading area once they got off the bus 18 students were Junior High School age or older do you impossible you think tell that to Mary Malone here she thought the same thing I really before that dance on Saturday oh I know he the band is really good are you going yeah well who's who you going with Mike Mike what are you going with Mike for because he asked me [Music] she like most of the others on this bus are high school seniors they will pass that stage what happened to your hand it's stupid I just got caught in the door you might I sign it I guess so just don't WR anything dirty I got magic Market [Music] here the driver Sarah Brown never expected anything to happen either never thought anything would Mar her safety record after all Sarah knew these kids and their families and could almost anticipate their usual Antics why she was even prepared for the snow but not for what Mary Malone would do on when the Snows come Sarah Brown being safety conscious always make sure she stops where there's a clearing in the snow so that students won't have to slip on snow Banks [Music] to avoid potential trouble Sarah Brown even drives more slowly when she crosses a bridge because she realizes the road surface on Bridges ice up before the roads on either side of it and can cause a skid few can fault Sarah Brown for her diligence fewer still would have guessed today would have been any different from any other day the snow the bus the teenagers with things she could [Music] handle Sarah was as cautious as usual even in the more congested areas making every attempt to stop at either driveways that have been cleared of snow or to let them off near sidewalk that have been shoveled if she can't she stops the bus away from a snowbank and waits for the students to get over them so that there is no chance they will slip under the bus [Music] come on Charlie this is your stop I want to get off the next like all good drivers Sarah keeps track of everybody in their stops and never starts up until she's sure they're out of the death zones she even double checks to make sure that they've cleared the area before she drives [Music] away soon w but for all her concern the fun that you see starting [Music] here coupled with the snow and the ice at this next stop we'll give Sarah Brown sleepless nights for the rest of her [Music] life want yeah the boys in the bus at Mary's book they plan to hand it out to her although she knows better Mary climbs the snowbank to get it the driver seeing the byplay Waits anticipating something could happen Mary wants to obey Sarah but can't get her book from the boys maybe a gentle reminder with the horn at last Mary has it and leaves the snowback Sarah Brown checks the mirror to be sure and starts up never thinking Mary would come back [Music] carefully now watch you okay Watcher okay all right she's the local Rescue Squad worked quickly to get Mary out from under the wheels and now they Race Against Time to get her to a hospital but their efforts will be in vain because Mary Malone forgot to think about what could happen on a snowbank Mary Mary Malone need not think about the dance on Saturday night Mary Malone will never again work at McDonald's or have to concern herself with what's to come after graduation somewhere on a country road in Vermont life will be over for Mary Malone learn from her mistake stay off snowbanks be extremely careful whenever you get on or off a bus don't add your name to the list of those who have died in the death zones obey all of the school bus safety rules in your area [Music] live country country lady country lady country lady country country l