NHTSA Complaint #10157049 — 1999 BLUE BIRD TC2000

I WORK FOR THE WEST MILFORD BD. OF EDUCATION DRIVING A SCHOOL BUS. MY REGULAR BUS WAS OUT OF SERVICE AND I WAS ASSIGNED BUS 206 WHICH HAS A DRIVER SEAT DEFECT. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR BY MANY OTHER DRIVERS, HOWEVER, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. MANAGEMENT AND MECHANICS HAVE GIVEN A RANGE OF ANSWERS SUCH AS THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT IT CAN'T BE FIXED, TO IT HAS BEEN FIXED, TO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE SEAT WHICH IS AN AIR SEAT, VIOLENTLY BOUNCES UP AND DOWN SLAMMING YOU ON THE FLOOR OF THE BUS CAUSING LOSS OF VISION OUT OF WINDSHIELD FOR A SECOND THEN JERKING YOU UP AGAIN AND YOU MUST HANG ON SO TIGHTLY TO THE STEERING WHEEL THAT YOU JERK THE WHEEL AND COULD POSSIBLY VEER OFF THE ROAD OR INTO THE OTHER LANE OF TRAFFIC. THE SEAT BELT GIVES NO SUPPORT BECAUSE IT IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR, IT IS ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO THE SEAT. AS A RESULT OF MY DRIVING THIS BUS I AM NOW OUT ON WORKMANS COMPENSATION BECAUSE MY ROTATOR CUFF WAS INJURED FROM THIS BUS. SOME DRIVERS HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER OTHERS WILL NOT BECAUSE THEY FEAR RETRIBUTION FROM MANAGEMENT. *NM