Make sure your child is protected from school bus injuries as the new school year begins.As kids head back to school during the months of August and September, some children will ride school buses for the first time and others will hop aboard buses just as they did in earlier years. Whether a child has or hasn’t been a passenger on a school bus before, there are some things about bus safety that all kids and their parents should know for the 2015-2016 school year.

In light of August being Back-to-School Safety Month, it is important that parents and children realize the dangers these big yellow buses can present and talk about some of the different scenarios, such as:

  • Pedestrian accidents around school buses are a reality. It is important that children know how to board and exit school buses. Many pedestrian accidents occur as kids get on and off school buses. This is because many drivers fail to stop when a school bus stops. Sadly, pedestrians make up about 21 percent of school bus-related fatalities, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of these fatalities are caused by drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. Parents need to remind their children that if they have to cross the street after exiting the bus, to look both ways, and never dart out from behind or in front of the bus.
  • School bus accidents happen. Although more kids get injured in car accidents on the way to and from school, many children have been injured in school bus accidents due to negligence by bus drivers and other motorists. While parents cannot prevent school bus crashes from occurring, parents can inform their children what to do in the event of an accident.
  • School bus drivers aren’t always safe. Some school bus drivers send or read text messages while driving. Parents need to make sure their children know the importance of reporting bus drivers who use their cell phones behind the wheel. Additionally, parents should always encourage their children to let them know if the bus is being driven dangerously. For example, sometimes bus drivers apply the brakes too hard or turn corners too sharply, causing children to hit their heads and suffer injuries.

Even though yellow school buses have been known as a safe way for children to get to school, sometimes bus crashes occur that cause injuries to children. In fact, about 17,000 children are sent to emergency rooms each year in school bus-related accidents, according to NBC news.

If your child is in a school bus accident and suffers any type of injury, such as broken bones, head trauma, or a neck injury, you need to seek legal advice immediately. Or lawyers will gladly answer your questions in a free, no-obligation consultation. Please call us today at (800) 875-9700.