The National Safety Council, taking its data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, stated that 117 people in New York and across the U.S. were killed in school bus-related accidents in 2018. This covers any vehicle used as a bus and includes incidents where buses are stopped to pick up or drop off students.
From 2009 to 2018, 70% of the fatally injured victims were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus. Five percent were school bus passengers and 4% school bus drivers. School bus passengers were more often injured non-fatally, making up 36% of such victims from 2008 to 2018. Fifty-one percent of non-fatal injury victims were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus.
The School Bus Fleet states that about 471,460 yellow school buses are transporting around 25 million elementary and secondary school children every day in the U.S. This is a sizeable number of children, considering that in the fall of 2018, there were 57.2 million public school students and 6.7 million private school students enrolled.
Despite the crash numbers given above, the NSC states that riding a school bus is still safer for children than walking or riding in a car. Nonetheless, the organization supports the use of seat belts with shoulder belts and lap restraints to make buses safer.
When bus accidents occur because of negligence on the part of the driver, those injured or their families may file a claim. Of course, there is the question of whom to hold at fault and how; there are rules that regulate the filing of a claim against a public school, for example. Before filing a claim, then, it may be a good idea to see a lawyer. Legal representation may make it easier to strive for a fair settlement.
