Seat Belts on Buses – A Parent's Dream?

 Posted on December 09, 2015 in Personal Injury

Our most vulnerable citizens board buses every day, and disturbing incidents are reported in the news frequently about school bus tragedies. In addition to the typical bus issues of children popping out of their seats, routes being memorized by drivers with or without GPS assistance, and behavioral issues amongst the kids, parents have warranted safety concerns.

Between 2003 to 2012, 174 school-age children died in school-transportation related crashes, 55 were occupants of school transportation vehicles.

If your child has been involved in a crash involving school transportation, having the counsel and guidance of a personal injury attorney is crucial in navigating the legal process.

Bus Crashes

According to 2013 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, there were 1,667 school bus crashes with over 1,400 of those occurring on urban roads and streets. Now, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is recommending the use of three-point seat belts—an endorsement to protect the 25 million children that ride school buses. Currently, only six states have seat belt laws.

Although the NHTSA has made safety recommendations in the past, such as insulated seats for protection in the event of front end crashes, it is the traumatic outcomes of rollover accidents that has prompted the recommendation for seat belts.

In a rollover crash, children are tossed about, thrown over the aisle, and slammed into other passengers and into windows—a deadly situation. Injuries can include traumatic brain injury, broken bones, internal organ damage and more. If your child is fortunate to escape death, these types of serious injuries would entail costly medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Caring Legal Team

When our littlest of citizens are hurt or killed, a family’s pain is almost too much to bear. If your child frequently rides a school bus to and from school, it is not unfounded to be worried about his or her safety. Especially in urban areas, the risk can be high that a bus may be involved in an accident, and is more so on highways.

The news that the NHTSA is now recommending three point seat belts be installed (and retrofitted) in buses is welcome news for parents. Until states enact such laws, parents still have cause for concern. If your child has been involved in a school bus accident, please contact a skilled DuPage County personal injury attorney at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices to schedule an initial complimentary consultation to assess the merits of your potential case.

Sources:

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811890.pdf

http://idot.illinois.gov/Assets/blog/blog/files/Transportation-System/Resources/Safety/Crash-Reports/crash-facts/2013%20CF.pdf

http://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nhtsa-administrator-endorses-seat-belts-school-buses-n460031