School bus stop safety breakaway arm extension

摘要

An extended school stop sign, which may but need not be retrofitable, and barrier is mounted on a conventional school bus stop sign and extends further into the adjacent lane to reduce instances in which motorists pass a stopped school bus. A first frame is permanently secured to conventional stop sign mechanism. A second breakaway frame or arm is attachable to and detachable from the first frame, and extends beyond the conventional stop sign. If a vehicle strikes the second frame, it separates without significantly damaging the conventional stop sign mechanism. The extension arm can be moved between a retracted and extended position by the same mechanism that opens and closes the conventional stop sign, or with a new mechanism entirely.

主权项

1. A deployable sign assembly for use on a school bus, the sign assembly being extendable and retractable from an traffic lane adjacent the school bus when stopped, to protect children entering or leaving the school bus, the sign assembly comprising:
a barrier having a fixed, constant length between the first end and a second end with the first end of the barrier being pivotally mountable for the barrier to swing on an arc relative to the school bus between a barrier retracted position, in which the barrier extends parallel along one side of the school bus, extending between front and rear of the school bus to which the barrier is mountable, and a barrier extended position during deployment of the sign assembly, the barrier being extendable into the traffic lane adjacent the school bus when in the barrier extended position in which the barrier extends transverse to the barrier retracted position and transverse to the one side of the school bus to which the barrier is mountable by a distance equal to the fixed length of the barrier and sufficient to obstruct motorists trying to pass the stopped school bus in the adjacent lane when the school bus is stopped and to protect children crossing the traffic lane adjacent the school bus when stopped, wherein the barrier is mountable on the school bus at a height at least equal to the eye line of a motorist in a passenger automobile so as to be readily visible to any approaching motorist and is releasable if struck by a vehicle passing the stopped school bus in the adjacent lane, and wherein the barrier is connected to the mounting member only by multiple shear pins so that the barrier is detached from the mounting member if struck by the vehicle passing the stopped school bus but the shear pins otherwise retain connection of the barrier to the mounting member during movement of the mounting member and the barrier between the barrier retracted position and the barrier extended position.