The school bus is
the safest vehicle on the road
—your child is much safer taking a bus to and from school than traveling by car. Although four to six school-age children die each year on school transportation vehicles, that’s less than one percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide.
What is the safest part of a school bus?
The safest seat in a school bus is generally in the middle,
in an aisle seat on the right hand side, between the tires
. It’s safer if there’s a head-on, side and rear-end collision. It is also less bumpy and jarring to the body. In addition, studies show that children are often injured approaching or leaving the bus.
Are school buses safer without seatbelts?
But while such accidents send chills down the spine of parents, national safety data suggests that
school buses remain the safest mode of transportation for children
, even without seat belts. A big reason for that is that large school buses are designed to withstand impact through compartmentalization.
Are school buses dangerous?
Although school buses have an excellent safety record,
mishaps can happen
. These mishaps can happen on the bus, however, it is more common for injuries to be sustained once outside the bus, including being hit by their own school bus or other vehicles.
What is the most dangerous seat on a school bus?
The 10-foot area around a school bus should be thought of as the Danger Zone because it is difficult for a bus driver to see in this area. The most dangerous sections in the Danger Zone are
right in front of the bus and from the front of the rear wheels to the back of the bus
.
Why do school buses not have seatbelts?
Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than passenger cars and light trucks do. … Since the sizes and weights of small school buses are closer to those of passenger cars and trucks, seat belts in those
vehicles are necessary to provide occupant protection
.”
Is bus safer than car?
Second only to air travel, traveling by bus is one of the safest modes of transportation in the United States. … Bus travel is four times safer than passenger rail travel (another one of the safest modes of transportation), and it’s
a staggering 50 times safer than private car travel
.
How long can a child legally be on a school bus?
Some states do define how long a child can legally be on a school bus, and most have it
capped at one hour
. You will have to research your state’s regs to see if they exist and if your district is in compliance.
Are school buses bulletproof?
Many people often have the mistaken opinion that school buses are impenetrable to bullets; not true, because
school buses are as same bulletproof
, as normal buses and other stock vehicles, which we can see on roads every day.
Why do school buses have white roofs?
A pilot program in North Carolina in the early 1990s tested the theory that a school bus with a white roof would make
for a cooler experience for the passengers
. The results were profound. The program found white-topped buses had internal temperatures an average of 10 degrees cooler than yellow topped buses.
Why are school buses so safe?
Seat Belts on School Buses
Large school buses are
heavier and distribute crash forces differently
than passenger cars and light trucks do. Because of these differences, bus passengers experience much less crash force than those in passenger cars, light trucks and vans.
What is the second leading cause of school bus fatalities?
In fact, in 2006 studies showed that crashes only accounted for 42% of injuries. Including other causes, school bus injuries are said to send around 17,000 U.S. children to the emergency room each year. Crashes account for the highest percentage of injuries, but the second highest cause is
boarding and leaving the bus
.
Should my kid ride the bus to school?
Ability
to Keep Schedules
in Tact
Riding the school bus allows for younger children to enjoy that quality time at home with Mommy the way the older kids were able to have when they were young. Keeping the younger kids on their set schedules doesn’t just benefit the younger kids, it also benefits the older ones.
What is the danger zone for a bus?
The “Danger Zone” is
the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver
(ten feet in front of the bus where the driver may be too high to see a child, ten feet on either side of the bus where a child may be in the driver’s blind spot, and the area behind the school …
What happens when a school bus crashes?
In most cases,
the specific school district will own and operate all of the school buses for their district
. Even if the driver was negligent, as an employee of the school district, the school district would, in most cases, be held responsible.
Why are school buses so high off the ground?
School bus seats are higher off the ground
so that most opposing vehicles are below the kids’ feet
. The four-inch cushioned seats and high seat backs create a compartment for students in the event of an accident. Seats are closer together than in most vehicles, creating even more of a safe zone.
