Protect your children from school bus accidents this school year

Parents should discuss school bus safety tips with their children before the new school year starts.

As children across California head back to school for the year, school buses will once again take to the streets to perform the important task of transporting our youngsters to and from school.

In California, more than 25,000 school buses are used every day to take our children to school, according to the San Diego Unified School District Transportation Department. About three million children travel to school on buses each day in the state.

While school bus travel is generally safe, the consequences following a
school bus accident can be catastrophic. As a result, parents should take the time to talk to their children about school bus safety before sending them to the bus stop this year.

For instance, children should be advised to always walk to the bus stop, never run. When children are hurrying to catch the bus, it is more likely that they will trip or fail to look both ways before crossing the street to get to the bus stop. In addition, parents should instruct their children not to stand too close to the curb or roughhouse with other children while they are waiting for the bus.

California motorists must be aware of school buses

Of course, the responsibility to avoid a dangerous collision lies primarily with the school bus drivers and other motorists on the road.

Drivers of other vehicles are required to stop whenever a school bus is using its red flashing lights or its stop sign. California
law dictates when school bus drivers must use these alerts.

By following proper safety precautions, motorists can avoid the likelihood of causing a collision with a child pedestrian.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 142 people are killed in collisions involving school buses each year. In total, 1,564 people have died in such collisions since 1998 in the United States. In all, 149 child
pedestrians were killed in school bus crashes from 1998 to 2008. Nearly 50 percent of the pedestrian fatalities involved children between five and seven years of age, according to the NHTSA.

Individuals who cause school bus accidents or pedestrian collisions around a school bus must take responsibility for their actions. If someone you love has been involved in a collision involving a school bus, you should talk to a skilled personal injury attorney, who will work on your behalf to obtain the compensation to which you may be entitled.

Keywords: school bus, accident, California