Is Your Child at Risk of a School Bus Accident?

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Bus Accident Injury

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that approximately 450,000 public school buses transport 23.5 million children on our roadways each year, transporting them to and from school, as well as to and from special school activities. Still, school bus accidents and injuries abound, raising great cause for concern across our communities and educational institutions.

Why School Buses Are Safer than Cars

While the NHTSA reports that there are at least six school-age fatalities recorded every year, studies show that generally, school buses are still considered one of the safest modes of transportation on the road today. Between the years of 2003 and 2012, the NHTSA found that 174 school-age children died in school-related transportation accidents, but only 55 of those deaths were occupants of school buses.

So, what is the reason behind these significantly safer vehicles? The NHTSA tells us that school buses are specifically designed to be safer than passenger vehicles where crash and injury prevention are concerned, and that school buses are approximately seven times safer than the average passenger car or light truck, and here are a few reasons why:

• School buses are designed with a different kind of safety restraint system, so seatbelt safety is highly effective in smaller buses;
• They are heavier in weight and distribute crash forces differently than regular passenger cars and trucks; and
• Large buses utilize something called “compartmentalization”, which provides crash protection via a protective envelope design, with sturdy, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs. This type of occupant protection is used in large school buses, allowing them to transport children without the need for traditional seatbelts.

School Bus Safety Precautions

The combination of these safety designs are behind the statistics: Students are 50 times more likely to arrive at school alive and uninjured when they take a school bus instead of a traditional passenger vehicle. There are multiple preventative measures students and drivers can take to keep school bus loading zones safe for everyone around them. Students should be encouraged to remain at a safe distance from where the bus stops - three feet away from the curbside. In addition, they should not walk behind, run, or play around the bus, exercising extreme caution when stepping on and off.

If you have experienced a school-bus related collision, speak with a competent Lake County car accident attorney to inquire about your rights and ensure you are fairly represented in a court of law. Call Salvi & Maher, LLP today at 847-662-3303 for a personal consultation.

Sources:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-buses

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811890