A school bus accident last week killed one person. That person was in a passenger car that rear-ended the bus. Prior to the accident, the driver made no attempt to slow down, indicating he may have been distracted. While no children were hurt in the accident, other children haven’t been so fortunate.
Thousands of parents throughout the Houston area put their children on school buses every morning. And though these buses are sometimes involved in serious accidents, the parents trust their children will be returned home safely at the end of the school day.
While school buses are reportedly safer than passenger cars, there are still things that you can do to ensure your child is safe while riding to and from school.
Teach your child about bus safety. This includes talking to them about staying in their seat for the entire trip. If a child is standing in a walkway when the bus is involved in a crash, they are far more likely to suffer serious injuries.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), buses are extremely safe and are better than cars at avoiding crashes and preventing injury. There are several reasons for this.
- Their size. School buses are resistant to impact because they are so large and high off the ground.
- Well-trained drivers. School bus drivers are screened and trained in everything from security to defensive driving and student behavior management.
- Flashing lights. The flashing lights and stop sign arms that are deployed when a bus stops are designed to give fair warning to all surrounding vehicles that children will be coming and going while the bus is stopped.
- Cross-view mirrors. The way mirrors are designed on school buses allows for maximum field of vision for the driver. From what goes on inside the bus to what’s happening outside the bus, the driver should be able to see it all.
Despite all of this, accidents sometimes happen. And when they do, they can be very traumatic for your child. As a Houston-area car accident and personal injury lawyer, I may be able to help. Call today for a free consultation.
