School Bus Safety: Protecting Kids and Communities

It’s that time of year again. It’s the time that may cause some parents to rejoice and some students to weep. Yet, it’s here once again.

School is back in session.

School Buses and their Passengers

We have all seen those big yellow school buses taking children to and from school. The job of a school bus is to safely transport our children from their place of residence to their place of education. Yet, like any other type of motorized vehicle, school buses can potentially put their passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians at risk when improperly operated.

In general, children are safe when riding in a school bus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), less than 1% of all traffic fatalities involve kids being transported in a school bus. Additionally, the NHTSA reports that students in the U.S. are 8 times safer when riding in a school bus than when riding with their own parents or guardians in a car.

Yet, while school buses tend to be safer than other vehicles, there is still danger. This report shows that 17,000 school buses are involved in traffic accidents every year. Another study found that, on average, about 6 school-aged youth die in school bus crashes every year in the U.S. While this number seems small, it still represents 6 families that have been forced to endure the horrific tragedy of losing a child.

School Bus Related Accidents  

While fatalities for children riding on school buses are relatively low, the U.S. Department of Transportation has found that 70% of individuals killed in school-bus-related accidents were the occupants of other vehicles involved in the crash. The same report shows that from 2012 to 2021, 206 school-age children were killed in school bus related accidents.

Of these 206 fatalities:

• 80 were riding in other vehicles
• 78 were pedestrians
• 42 were riding on the school bus
• 5 were riding bikes.

Sadly, school bus accidents have caused the death of many children. According to the 2021-2022 National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey, 67% of fatalities were caused by school buses and 33% were caused by other cars. Furthermore, over the last 52 years, school buses have been the cause of 56% of fatal accidents involving students.

When bus drivers are not paying attention to the road or pedestrians, death or serious injury can occur. This article tells the story of a 8-year-old who was placed into critical condition after being hit by a school bus on his way to school in Kentucky. The little boy was going across the crosswalk of a busy street when the bus driver failed to stop. Another student was hit in LaPorte, Indiana when a school bus failed to yield at a crosswalk. Unfortunately, this student was killed. She was just 15 years old.

While distracted bus drivers can put young children at serious risk of injury or death, they can also pose a threat for adults. This article reports the death of a college student who was hit and killed by a bus on a school campus in downtown Indianapolis. Another news article reports the death of a 62-year-old man from Evansville, Indiana that was killed by a school bus. The man had the right of way when he was hit. When school bus drivers are not fully attentive to the road, they can cause serious and disastrous outcomes for both children and adults.

At Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we have handled numerous cases against school bus drivers. Unfortunately, most of these were very tragic cases. Because of the bus’s size and weight, the harm they cause while being operated by someone going too fast, not keeping a proper lookout, or distracted driving can be far worse than an accident caused by a car. We have represented several people who were killed by school buses. Some were pedestrians and others were in cars. One construction worker was killed while crossing the street in front of a speeding bus in Indianapolis, Indiana.

What Leads to Accidents Involving School Buses?

It seems like waiting for a bus, loading onto the bus, or getting off the school bus should be a safe activity. Unfortunately, such activities often become hazardous when distracted or irresponsible drivers enter the mix. This was the unfortunate experience for an Ohio student who was run over by a car when getting off of their school bus after arriving home.

Of students who lost their life due to bus-related accidents:

• 7% of students were walking/running to the bus stop in the morning
• 3% were waiting at the bus stop in the morning
• 3% were unloading at the bus stop in the afternoon
• 7% were loading at school in the afternoon

When it comes to children waiting for their bus, dangerous or distracted driving can prove to be tragic. Such was the tragic incident for 16-year-old Columbus East student, Lily Streeval. Lily was waiting for her school bus on a Monday morning when a driver failed to yield to the school bus’s arm signal, struck her, and killed her.

Drive Safely: Protect Our Children and Our Community

Whether you are a school bus driver or not, it is vital to practice mindful, safe, and responsible driving at all times – especially when children are involved. According to the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, roughly 41.8 million school-bus related driving violations are committed by U.S. drivers in a single year. This includes illegally passing school buses or disregarding the stop sign on the bus. With numbers like this, it is a miracle that only 6 students are killed every year while boarding or leaving their school bus. It is vital that drivers recognize, respect, and respond to signals, speed limits, and signs meant to protect the lives of our children.

Recently, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has sought to make efforts to increase safety for school and bus zones. The IMPD will seek to protect children by cracking down on speeding, distracted driving, and stop-arm violations. Distracted driving, ignoring school speed limits, and disregarding stop-arms could cause serious injury to students, which was the case for a 13-year-old who was trying to board her bus for summer school.

In the state of Indiana, drivers must STOP when a school bus has the stop-arm extended and the red lights are flashing. The only exception to this law is when on a divided roadway that is separated by a median or unimproved median, and drivers are traveling in the opposite direction from the school bus. Otherwise, drivers are to stop when the stop-arm extends and the lights flash. Failure to stop is punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, 90 days of suspended driving privileges (or up to one year for repeat offenses), or eight points against the individual’s driving record. Additionally, drivers of all types of vehicles should be especially careful around bus stops and school zones. Being distracted for even a few seconds can prove to be devastating.

When you sit in the driver’s seat of any vehicle, you are responsible for making safe choices to protect yourself and your community. Make sure that you are not in such a rush to get to your destination that you make a choice that can be devastating for yourself and others. Additionally, seek to prepare your own children as they return to school. If you have children that ride the school bus, here are some tips from the Indiana State Police to help keep them safe.

We Are Here for You

The truth of the matter is that we hope you will never need our services. We hope that you and your family will never find yourself facing circumstances related to serious personal injury or death. Unfortunately, such circumstances do occur and impact people in life-changing ways. If you or a loved one has been impacted by a serious accident involving a school bus or other school-transportation-related situation, the law firm of Craig, Kelley & Faultless is here for you. We have the resources, experience, and skill to thoroughly investigate your wrongful injury or death claim and to fight for you. Contact us online or call (888) 253-5198 today to see how we can help fight for you.

David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.