Every day, more than 23 million children across the country board a big yellow bus and head to school. While many parents worry about sending their most precious cargo off on the bus each morning, riding a school bus is considered one of the safest forms of transportation, about seven times safer than passenger vehicles.
Each year 42,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes, Of those, on average, six are school-age passengers killed while riding a school bus. In 2008, there were 153 people killed in school bus-related accidents. Sixty-eight percent were occupants of other vehicles; 13 percent were pedestrians and nine percent were school bus passengers, according to statistics from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
There's a debate over whether the use of seat belts would further reduce student fatalities but NHTSA has not found any data to suggest that school bus passengers are safer belted than not. The size of the bus is a factor in that it is more like a heavy truck and distributes crash forces differently than a passenger vehicle. And, by design, large school buses are "compartmentalized" to provide an envelope of crash protection with taller, energy-absorbing seat backs and closely-spaced seating rows. The same cannot be said of small school buses, which are required to have lap and/or shoulder belts, since their size and weight are more similar to passenger vehicles. Still, there is a concern that belting up in one type of vehicle but not another can send a contradictory message to children who are told to wear their seat belts in the family vehicle but often not required to on a bus.
The greatest risk with school buses is when children are getting on and off. That is why motorists should be extra vigilant when sharing the road. The most important tip for other drivers is to obey the stop arm signal and red flashing lights and not proceed until the signals are turned off. Also, never pass on the right side of a bus where children exit and enter.
This week is
school bus safety week and NHTSA is offering these safety tips as a reminder to parents and students:
- Supervise children to make sure they get to the bus stop on time.
- Make sure they wait on the curb away from the road and avoid rough play.
- Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he/she drops something near the bus. A driver cannot see a child who may bend down to pick something up. Have your child use a backpack or bag to keep loose items contained.
- Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that may get caught in the handrail or bus door.
- Encourage safe school bus loading and unloading.
- If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your school or transportation office about changing the location.—Liza Barth
Related reading: For more transportation safety news, read our Cars blog.
