Many recent school bus accidents have brought bus safety into the news. Most school buses are not required to have seat belts under federal law, which has long been a controversial issue. According to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration, 149 people under the age of 19 have died in school transportation accidents since 1998. Of these 149, 47 percent have been between the ages of five and seven. Each school bus accident that occurs renews the call to make safety belts mandatory on school buses.
A 2006 accident in Alabama that killed four students led the University of Alabama to study the impact that seat belts might have on school bus safety. The bus in the Alabama accident was pushed off a highway overpass. Those on the bus were thrown from their seats, which may have been prevented if the bus was outfitted with safety restraints.
The results of the study show that seat belts would save approximately one student's life every eight years, but costs to install the belts would be extremely high. For each bus that needed to install seat belts, it would cost between $11,000 and $15,000. Over a ten year period, this would cost over $1.4 billion. To outfit buses with special flex seats would cost more than $115 million per year. Seat belts were placed on 12 buses as part of the study, and were only used by 61.5 percent of the riders.
Focus on Accident Prevention
With states already low on funds, officials believe that money would be better spent on training drivers, riders and the public on accident prevention. Most injuries occur in situations where the bus is either loading or unloading passengers. Students, especially those who are younger, need to be educated about the dangers of running to or away from the bus. And bus drivers need to be sure to check that children are sitting down or safely off the bus before driving away.
Perhaps most importantly, other drivers need to be aware of the rules regarding the passing of school buses. Pedestrians are frequently injured by those who are not paying close attention or driving through a school bus stop-sign. If your child has been injured due to a school bus accident, an experienced personal injury attorney in your state can help you determine what options are available to you.
