Prevent Knoxville School Transportation Accidents as Kids Return to Class

Commuting to school can be a dangerous time for kids as they face the risk of becoming involved in a motor-vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only one percent of fatal school transportation accidents involve a school bus. Going to school on the bus is safer than driving with a parent or driving with a teen driver.

Unfortunately, there are still risks for kids who ride the bus to school. Parents and drivers need to be aware of the dangers of school transportation accidents. If a collision occurs and a child is hurt, it is important to consult with a personal injury lawyer for help.

Preventing School Transportation Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published a fact sheet on bus accidents that reveals the extent of the risks kids face. Between 2003 and 2012, there were 1,222 fatal collisions involving kids killed while going to or from school. In total, there were 174 kids killed in accidents involving school buses. Of these children, 55 were killed as they were riding on school buses and another 119 were killed in pedestrian collisions that involved a school transport vehicle.

Prevention of school transportation accidents must be a joint effort between bus drivers, kids, parents and other motorists on the road. The NHTSA’s website Kids, the School Bus and You has tips for drivers, parents and children.

Drivers are urged to:

• Watch carefully for children before backing out of driveways, especially as the school year resumes and there are more kids on the road commuting to school during times of high traffic.
• Be alert to school zone signs and obey the lower speed limit in school zones while looking carefully for children.
• Slow down and be especially careful in areas where kids may be walking to school where there are no sidewalks for them to travel on.
• Follow the legal requirements for stopping for a school bus. If the bus has flashing yellow lights, this is an indicator that the bus is planning to slow down shortly in order to load or unload kids. If the bus has an extended stop arm and flashing red lights, it is loading and unloading children and motorists must wait until the kids are safely off the bus and the bus no longer has its stop arm extended.

Parents are urged to remind kids about proper safety practices when waiting for a bus and embarking or disembarking. The safety tips that kids should follow include the following:

• Always arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes or more before the scheduled time for the bus to depart.
• Remain six feet away from the curb while awaiting the bus arrival or waiting to board the bus. Six feet is the equivalent of three giant steps.
• Wait for the OK from the bus driver before boarding the bus. Hold the hand rails while getting off or on in order to prevent a fall.

By following these safety practices, hopefully there will be fewer injuries among children riding the bus to school this school year.

Knoxville accident lawyer can help collision victims. Contact G. Turner Howard III, Attorney at Law at (844) G3-Help-Me or 865-558-8030 to schedule a free consultation.