School Buses Safer Than Cars for Students? NHTSA Reports

Christopher Keane
Christopher Keane
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California Child Abuse and Child Injury Lawyer
Posted on Nov 25, 2009
School buses are safer than automobiles when transporting children to school, according to a report from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Association).  Among the statistics reported were the following:  in the 2007-2008 school year, six students died in school bus accidents and 368 died in other passenger vehicles "during normal morning and afternoon commute hours" in the U.S., according to the School Transportation News website.  Over the past ten years, 34 child fatalities (ages 5-18) resulted from school bus crashes, compared to 5,595 child fatalities (in the same age range) resulting from other vehicle accidents.  Pedestrians and bikers were less safe than school bus riders as well:  over the past decade, 936 students were killed on foot or on bikes heading to and from school.  In short, children "riding the bus" were found by the report to be almost 10 times safer then pedestrians or bikers commuting to school.  Normal commuting hours were defined as 6:00 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:59 p.m. Monday through Friday (from September 1 to June 15).

Keeping with historic data that reports school buses as 12 times safer than other vehicles when transporting children to and from school, the report shows that riding another passenger vehicle rather than the school bus is a greater risk of injury or fatality for students.  Among the non-fatal injuries resulting from passenger vehicle accidents (car accidents) were trauma to the head, broken bones, cuts, and internal injuries. 

Car accidents can cause a range of injuries, from minor to even fatal.  If your child has been injured or killed in an auto accident, whether while commuting to school or driving elsewhere, feel free to contact child injury & car accident attorney Chris Keane with your questions regarding negligence, liability, and other concerns.  As an advocate for injured children and surviving families of fatal accident victims, Chris Keane will answer all your questions for free with compassion and regard for your unique situation.

Click here to contact Chris Keane via the web or call 1-888-592-KIDS.

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