Here in Illinois and Indiana, what are the best steps we can take to protect our kids against school bus accidents?
Indiana is still reeling from the Halloween Eve school bus accident in Fulton County that took the lives of three young children, all from the same family, while severely injuring another child.
See our post from last week for details: “Deadly Indiana School Bus Crash: Driver Charged with Reckless Homicide.”
Recent Serious or Fatal School Bus Accidents
Sadly, this fatal school bus accident was only one of several serious school bus incidents in the recent past. Consider the following tragedies involving youngsters from all over the nation, with most happening within the past week:
1. School Bus and Dump Truck Collide in Maryland: November 5, 2018
While en route to Farquhar Middle School yesterday morning, a school bus collided with a dump truck. The accident resulted in the school bus driver and eight children being hospitalized. No one died in this school bus crash.
For details, read: “9 Hospitalized In School Bus Crash with Dump Truck near DC,” published on November 5, 2018, by WJZ13-CBSBaltimore.
2. Seven Year Old Killed at Pennsylvania School Bus Stop: November 1, 2018
Early on a Thursday morning in Franklin Township, Pennsylvania, a 7-year-old boy was waiting for his school bus at the bus stop when he was hit by a car and killed. The tragedy was discovered by the school bus driver when the school bus arrived at the bus stop. The hit and run driver was located by police; according to news reports, the driver allegedly denied being aware that his vehicle had hit the child.
For more, read: “7-Year-Old Boy Killed At School Bus Stop in Pennsylvania by Hit-And-Run Driver,” published on November 1, 2018, by ABCNews.
3. Boy Killed Crossing Street to Get On Mississippi School Bus: November 1, 2018
On Wednesday morning, a 9-year-old boy waited for his school bus to take him to Baldwin Elementary School, and when the school bus arrived, the child began crossing the road to board his bus. He was hit by a truck as he crossed the roadway, and died from his injuries. The driver has been charged with aggravated assault.
For details, see: “Boy, 9, Dies after Being Hit by Truck at Mississippi School Bus Stop,” published on November 1, 2018, by CBSNews.
4. Ford Escort Hits Kids and Adults Waiting at Florida School Bus Stop: November 1, 2018
Shortly after eight o’clock in the morning at a Tampa, Florida school bus stop, five schoolchildren and two adults were hit by a Ford Escort as they stood waiting for the school bus to arrive to take them to Woodson PreK-8 Leadership Academy. They were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment with one child in critical condition; thankfully, no one died in this accident. The driver was not immediately arrested. The Tampa Police Department is investigating the crash, and reports that charges are pending.
For more, read: “5 Children, 2 Adults Struck by Vehicle at Tampa Bus Stop; 2 Children Seriously Injured,” published on November 2, 2018, by ABCActionNews.
5. Fiery School Bus Rollover in Texas: October 3, 2018
A fully loaded Mesquite ISD school bus carrying almost four dozen kids (42 passengers) was involved in a rollover accident, where the Texas school bus tipped over on its side and then caught fire. One of the kids died in the accident; several other schoolchildren suffered serious injuries.
For details, see: “One Student Dies in Mesquite School Bus Crash,” published on October 4, 2018 by NBCDFW.com.
School Bus Safety for Schoolchildren Taking Buses to School
These recent school bus accidents involve three dangers: (1) the risk of injury to the child who is on the side of the road, waiting for the school bus; (2) the risk of harm to a child as he crosses the roadway to board his school bus; and (3) the risk of injury to schoolchildren who are passengers on a school bus involved in a crash.
Given all these recent school bus accidents both here in Indiana and across the country, how can we protect our kids from being hurt or killed in a school bus crash?
- Responsibility of the Drivers
Obviously, these hit and run drivers must be investigated for negligent behaviors like DUI, speeding, or distracted driving. In school bus crashes, the bus itself as well as the bus driver must be investigated. (FYI: the Indiana Department of Transportation (IDOT) provides an online school bus inspection report.)
- Safety Tips for Parents
Safety measures can be undertaken by parents to try and minimize these risks to their kids who take the school bus to their local school. The age of the child is a big factor in how best to protect the kids: for instance, elementary school age children are small and not easily seen by drivers of tall motor vehicles like SUVs or pickup trucks.
IDOT provides the following recommendations for school bus safety for kids:
- Have your children put everything they carry into a backpack or school bag so that they won’t drop things along the way.
- Attach a piece of high visibility fluorescent or reflective material to their clothing or backpack.
- Make sure they leave home on time so that they can walk to the bus stop and arrive before the bus is due. Running can be dangerous.
- Go to the bus stop with a young child and have older children walk in groups. There’s safety in numbers because groups are easier for drivers to see.
- If your child must walk in the street, walk single file, face traffic and stay as close to the edge of the road as possible.
- Don’t let your child play running games or push or shove at the bus stop.
- Make sure your child stands at least 6 feet (3 giant steps) from the road while waiting for the bus.
- If children must cross the street to the bus, remind them to wait for the driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
- Tell your child if they drop something near the bus they should never pick it up, instead, they should tell the bus driver and follow the driver’s directions. Remind children to look to the right before they step off the bus, other drivers in a hurry sometimes try to sneak by buses on the right.
- Teach your children to secure loose drawstrings and other objects that may get caught in the handrail or door of the bus as they are exiting.
Taking the bus to school is a tradition in many parts of the country, and a necessity for some families, particularly those living in rural areas of Indiana and Illinois. The recent news coverage of serious injuries and tragic deaths involving youngsters taking school buses is both shocking and heartbreaking.
While there are laws in place to help schoolchildren and their families in seeking justice after a serious or fatal school bus crash, the better course is for everyone to take steps to prevent these horrible accidents from happening in the first place.
For more read:
- Danger of Fatal Child Pedestrian Accidents as Kids Go Back to School;
- Rising Danger of Pedestrian Accident Deaths: Hit by Motor Vehicle While Walking; and
- Fatal Car Crashes: 10 Times More Likely to Die on Rural Roads.
There are dangers on our roadways that cause fatal accidents like speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. Let’s be careful out there!
