Safety First: School Bus and Van Safety

September 30, 2010

There are 1.5 million children transported on Pennsylvania roads each day, across more than 346 million miles annually, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles. And every year, children are severely injured or killed by drivers disobeying Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law.

The law requires drivers to stop for any stopped school bus with red signal lights flashing when meeting or overtaking the bus on the road. Vehicles must be stopped at least ten feet away from the bus and remain stopped until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm has been withdrawn. Drivers on the opposite side of a highway from a stopped bus with flashing red lights and the stop arm extended do not have to stop if there are clearly defined dividing sections or physical barriers providing separate roadways.

The DMV reports that over 1,000 motorists do not obey the stopping law each year. Conviction of a violation of the School Bus Stopping Law results in:
- 60 day driver's license suspension
- Five points on the driver's driving record
- Fine in the amount of $250

School Bus Safety

PR Newswire reports that school buses are the safest way to get to and from school, nearly 12 times safer than passenger vehicles. The Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PSBA) issued a Statement on Occupancy Protection in School Buses, in which it cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research confirming that compartmentalization works extremely well to protect school bus passengers. Compartmentalization is the occupant protection system found in today's school buses.

The statement continues that NHTSA research found that while lap and shoulder belts are the most effective form of occupant protection when properly used, the overall net could be a loss of safety, based on potential negative consequences, which include:
- High expectation of misuse due to discomfort
- Possibility that the restraints will not fit the smallest passengers properly without the use of belt-positioning booster seats
- Higher risk of injury to unbelted passengers from the seats, which are modified to be stiffer and heavier
- The likelihood that school districts would offset the additional cost and loss of capacity of busses with safety restraints by reducing the number of students who are transported by school bus

With or without shoulder and lap belts, school buses are reportedly safer than any other current mode of transportation, including walking, riding a bicycle, or transportation by parents. The greatest danger bus riders face is getting on or off the bus, and dozens of children suffer serious injuries each year in school bus-related pedestrian accidents.

It is estimated that in New York alone, school buses stopped to load or unload children are illegally passed 50,000 times every day. Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, reportedly said that law enforcement agencies across the nation are working with community leaders, schools and transportation groups to reduce school bus stop arm violations.

Those on the road should avoid distracted driving, especially on the morning and afternoon hours when buses are on the road. Students can also work to avoid accidents stemming from stop arm violations by paying attention, listening and looking both ways before getting on or off the bus or crossing the street. Another safety measure is to avoid "distracted walking," which can be caused by hooded shirts or sweatshirts that block full vision and headphones that drown out traffic sounds.

Van Safety

In contrast to the relative safety of school bus transportation, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that from 2004 to 2008, the death rate for occupants of 15-passenger vans was 175 deaths per million registered users; this was higher than for other passenger vehicle types combined. In fact, the NHTSA recommends that preschool and school-age children not be transported in 15-passenger vans.

Fifteen-passenger vans have a high center of gravity, which is actually raised by adding passengers to the vehicle, making it more difficult to handle and less stable. According to a NHTSA study, the odds of rollover for a 15-passenger van increased by more than 400 percent when fully loaded. Other factors that play a role include tire pressure, experience of the driver, and seat belt use.

Parents of children who have been injured by a driver who committed a stop arm violation or hurt in a bus or van accident should contact a personal injury attorney. A lawyer can explain the available options and, if advisable, proceed with a demand for compensation.

Article provided by Rooney Law Firm
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