How Common are School Bus Injuries?
School buses offer reliable transportation for children throughout South Florida. According to data from the nonprofit organization Safe Routes Partnership, approximately half of elementary and middle school students regularly ride the bus.
Parents should be able to rest easy knowing that their children will be safe on the bus. You may be wondering: How common are school bus accidents in Florida? Here, our West Palm Beach bus accident attorneys provide an overview of the latest school bus injury statistics.
School Bus Accident and Injury Statistics
The most comprehensive data on school bus accidents comes from the National Safety Council (NSC). The NSC has some good news for parents: School bus accidents are relatively rare. Indeed, these buses are generally safer for children than other common forms of transportation.
That being said, far too many school bus accidents still happen. The National Safety Council documented approximately 13,000 school bus accident injuries in 2018. School bus passengers (children on the bus) make up around 40 percent of those injured.
Unfortunately, there are some gaps in the data. Some school bus injuries—particularly those that occur because of fights or physical confrontations—are not always properly reported and recorded by state or federal regulators.
There are Three Categories of School Bus Injuries
- School Bus Collisions
A school bus may be involved in a crash. It could be a single bus accident or a collision with another vehicle. While some school bus collisions are relatively minor, some of these accidents are serious. Every school bus accident should be reported to authorities and investigated. Parents need to know what happened and why it happened.
- Pedestrian Accidents
One of the primary safety hazards related to school bus transportation is the children getting on and off of the bus. At this point, children are pedestrians. Other motorists must take proper care. In addition, the school, the bus driver, and any private company contracted to provide transportation services must ensure that they pick up and drop off kids in a safe place.
- A Safety Incident on the Bus
Not all school bus injuries involve a motor vehicle crash. In some cases, children are injured while riding the bus. This can happen for many different reasons, including fights between students, an attack by one child on another (bullying), or horseplay gone wrong. Children require adequate supervision. The bus driver (and the school) has a responsibility to ensure that kids are kept safe on the bus. If they fail to do so, they can be held legally liable for a student’s injuries.
Call Our Florida Bus Accident Attorneys for Help With Your Case
At Pike & Lustig, LLP, our Florida personal injury lawyers have the skills and knowledge to handle the full range of bus accident claims, including school bus accidents. If your child was hurt while on a school bus, we are here to help. For a free personal injury consultation, please contact us today. We handle bus accident injury cases throughout South Florida, including in Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, and Broward County.
Resource:
injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/school-bus/
https://www.turnpikelaw.com/injured-on-a-bus-in-miami-four-steps-to-protect-your-rights/
