According to the NHTSA, a school transportation-related crash is one that involves any vehicle that is being used as a school bus transporting children under 18 to a school or school-related activity. Between 2004 and 2013, there were 1,214 fatal accidents involving school buses, which was less than 1 percent of all fatal crashes involving motor vehicles. However, only 8 percent of those who died were inside the school vehicle at the time of the crash.
Of those who died, 71 percent were inside of another vehicle that was involved in a crash with a school bus or other school vehicle. Pedestrians and bicyclists constituted the other 21 percent of deaths in school transportation-related crashes. Of the 1,344 deaths between 2004 and 2013, 116 were children who were under the age of 18, and 71 percent of those deaths involved children under the age of 13.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of deaths caused by school bus accidents took place between 7 a.m and 8 a.m and between 3 p.m and 4 p.m. Furthermore, most collisions and related fatalities occurred in crashes involving multiple vehicles where first impact occurred on the front side of the bus. There were 31 such crashes that resulted in 39 deaths with a total of 46 crashes with 56 fatalities when single-vehicle crashes are included.
Anyone who is injured in an accident involving a commercial vehicle that was caused by the negligence of its driver may wish to take legal action against both the driver and the employer. An attorney may be able to review a case to determine what type of compensation an injured victim may be entitled to such as medical bills or lost wages.
