The summer months are speeding by and very soon our children will be returning to school. “Back to School” typically brings thoughts of shopping for school clothes, backpacks and school supplies. For both parents and children, it can lead to anxiety over anticipated long, loud, chaotic school bus rides in the morning “rush hour” traffic. Though children fear the bus bully, parents worry about a bus crash that has the potential to be life-changing for so many families. While fear for our children’s safety is understandably paramount in our minds, thoughts of the risks to the “other” victims of school bus accidents, the occupants of the other vehicles as well as pedestrians, are not often considered.
From 2003 to 2012, fatal school transportation accidents numbered 1,222 resulting in 1,353 deaths. This is an average of 135 deaths per year. The victims were comprised of bus occupants, pedestrians/bicyclists, and occupants of other motor vehicles of various age groups. (The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) considers a crash to be school transportation-related if it involves a school bus, or non-school bus functioning as a bus, that is transporting kids to or from school or a school-related activity.)
Interestingly, nearly 100 people per year were killed as occupants of other vehicles in school transportation-related crashes according to data collected by the NHTSA. This accounts for 71% of all fatalities, while school bus occupants and pedestrians/bicyclists account for 8 % and 21% respectively. Occupants of other vehicles suffered nearly nine times the amount of deaths compared to occupants of school related-transportation vehicles.
Pedestrians are also at higher risk of being a victim of a school bus accident than an occupant. Of the 174 school-age children who died in school-transportation-related crashes from 2003 to 2012, 55 were occupants of school transportation vehicles and 119 were pedestrians. Ironically, these statistics show that although the school bus may be a scary place for many children, it may not necessarily be the most dangerous.
The Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates Handle Cases Involving School Transportation and Bus Accidents
School transportation vehicles are entrusted with children and pedestrian safety which makes bus accidents all the more tragic. The Philadelphia motor vehicle accident attorneys at Geoffrey B. Gompers & Associates handle bus accident claims and carefully analyze all sources of personal injury liability. This allows clients to maximize their compensation from sources such as insurance companies, negligent drivers, and school districts. Do not settle for what the insurance companies are willing to pay you without consulting an experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyer. For your free consultation, call our Philadelphia car accident lawyers at 215-567-6600 or contact us online.