The MDZ Shield (or Minimize Danger Zone Shield) is a safety device for school buses, consisting of a two-piece polyurethane guard that encloses the upper wheel well opening and covers the gap in front of the right rear wheels, designed to deflect a person out of the path of the wheels in order to prevent injury or death. The "danger zone," which the shield acts to mitigate, refers to the area extending 10 feet to the front, rear and sides of the school bus, where children are at most risk of being hit by passing vehicles or by their own bus.[1] Invented and developed by Mark B. Barron of Public Transportation Safety International, developer of the similar S-1 Gard for transit buses, and distributed by The C.E. White Company, the MDZ Shield first came to market in 2011.
- ^ National Safety Council "School Bus Loading and Unloading". National Safety Council. April 2009. Retrieved 2012-02-27.