As someone who is concerned about the safety of being on the roads, one thing that you may find interesting is how safe school buses are. Most people who have been on a school bus know that they do not typically have seat belts and rarely have individual seats. Despite that, these buses are around 70% safer than riding in any other kind of vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That being said, school bus crashes still happen, and those crashes cause thousands of injuries every year. In 2017, 95 people were killed in school bus crashes, based on data from the National Safety Council (NSC).
What are some tips for staying safe while on a school bus?
School buses are relatively safe for the people on board, but you can still take steps to protect yourself while the bus is in motion. Some good tips include:
- Sitting in your seat on the bus whenever the bus is in motion
- Using a seat belt if one is provided for you
- Putting away school supplies so that pencils and other sharp objects don’t cause injuries if the bus stops suddenly
Bus drivers can be safer by:
- Slowing down. Slower impacts are less likely to cause injuries
- Putting away distractions
- Stopping the bus if there is a disturbance so that students can be settled before continuing
These are a few things you can do to stay safer on a bus. If you or your children are involved in a school bus crash, remember that you may have a right to pursue a personal injury claim and seek compensation.