Parents See Electric School Buses And Student Mental Health Links, Survey Suggests

While electric school buses are often lauded as an important step in the move to cleaner and less-polluting forms of transportation, a recent survey also suggests there may be additional benefits in terms of managing students’ mental health.

The survey by Highland Electric Fleets found voters and parents strongly associate electric school buses with better student mental health, particularly for children with special needs or sensory sensitivities.

Two-thirds (67%) of the parents surveyed believe that reducing stressors like diesel fumes and noise during the school commute can help support their child’s emotional and academic success.

A similar number (70%) of voters agreed a calmer ride is important for students’ mental health, while among parents, the number rises to 81%.

And 70% of voters agreed a calmer ride is important for students’ mental health, while among parents, the number rises to 81%.

Mental health speaker Ross Szabo said traditional diesel-powered school buses are “super loud”, which means it is hard to have a “sense of calm or peacefulness” when travelling onboard in an interview.

Szabo added the commute to school or work often determines how we feel during the rest of the day, and if the “start of the day is rough, then the whole day can be rough”.

“We are in a mental health crisis around the world,” Szabo told me. “It's not just America. But I was really pleased to see in this survey how many people are getting the holistic approach, and how much the daily school bus commute can matter to young people.”

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“The sound of a diesel engine on a school bus is loud, which often means the kids onboard are having to be louder than the bus,” said Szabo.

“With electric vehicles, the sound of the engine is much quieter. Noise is a big issue, particularly for neurodivergent students who have a higher sensory response, so electric school busses make a big difference to them.”

New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Jeff Ditzell said a lot of children with children with autism, special needs and other conditions have an increased sensitivity to sound, noise and light in an interview.

Dr. Ditzell any means of transportation which can offer a “calmer ambient situation” is likely to provide more emotional regulation for children and young people.

“A lot of these kids also have physical sensory issues, so a more comfortable environment is likely to translate into less anxiety,” he told me.

“And if they are agitated when they begin their school day, and distracted getting off the bus, they may already be starting to have anxious rumination or intrusive thoughts.

“This means it's going to be very difficult to get their inner environment calm again, modulated and get into the school day.”

Moms Clean Air Force’s public health manager, Elizabeth Bechard said here are so many benefits of electric school buses for children’s well-being, including reduced exposure to dangerous diesel exhaust in an email.

Bechard added breathing in traffic pollution like the diesel fumes from traditional school buses has been linked to a range of mental health harms, from increased anxiety to impaired cognitive function.

“Electric school buses offer a cleaner, quieter, healthier ride to school—something that promotes peace of mind both for students and their parents,” she said.

And Highland Electric Fleets founder and chief executive Duncan McIntyre said it was encouraging to see so many parents recognizing the benefits electric school buses bring to students in a statement.

McIntyre added Highland was proud to partner with school districts across the country, because it is “not just about cleaner air and lower emissions, it’s about providing a calmer, healthier, and quieter ride” for students.