How Common Are School Bus Accidents?

As a parent, you may be concerned about how safe your child is riding a bus to school on a regular basis, even though Texas now requires school buses to have seat belts. How likely is it that your child will be involved in a serious bus crash?

The good news is you shouldn’t worry too much about your child getting to school safely. Approximately 25 million school-age children ride buses to and from school on a daily basis. School buses are actually very strong and the safest vehicles on the road. It is safer to let your children ride the bus than to drive them to school in the family car. Riding a bus is even safer than walking or riding a bike. The chances of your little ones dying in a school bus crash are very low. In fact, only 4-6 children die in school bus crashes every year. This accounts for less than 1% of traffic fatalities.

Most accidents are not caused by vehicles colliding with school buses. They actually happen when a child is getting on or off a bus. This is because drivers are often unaware of (or don’t care about) the laws they must follow at bus stops. Many drivers are in a hurry, passing school buses instead of stopping. This causes drivers to hit students, causing injuries and even death.

Why Are Buses Safer? 

How is a school bus safer than a regular car? There are several reasons. First, school buses are highly regulated. Because a school bus driver is in charge of so many students, there are many laws in place protecting children from other vehicles. For example, drivers are not allowed to pass a school bus when it is loading or unloading students.

Also, school buses are different by design. They are built to be much stronger and more visible than passenger vehicles. For one, they are bright yellow, making them easy to see from far away. While it is not a federal law that school buses be yellow, it is recommended that these buses be painted “National School Bus Glossy Yellow.”

Also, they are equipped with stop-sign arms and flashing red lights to alert other drivers. They also meet high safety standards, with high crush standards, protective seats and rollover protection. In the past, school buses were not required to have seat belts because of the way they are designed, but that is no longer the case. Now, Texas and most other states require them.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

School bus accidents are not common and major injuries and deaths are even rarer. However, you should know how to proceed if your child is involved in a crash while traveling to and from school.

What happens after a school bus crash? Get sound advice from the Houston bus accident lawyers at The West Law Office, PLLC. We can assess your case and help you understand your rights to compensation. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 281-347-3247 or filling out the online form.

Resource:

nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety#:~:text=The%20school%20bus%20is%20the,of%20all%20traffic%20fatalities%20nationwide.