Young pedestrians are most vulnerable

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 1994 through 2004, 182 school-age pedestrians (under the age of 19) died in school transportation-related crashes. Approximately 64% of these  fatalities involved traditional school bus body type vehicles. Tragically, 49% of the pedestrians killed were between the ages of five and seven.

Pedestrian accidents often involve school kids

With 24 million students being transported twice daily on familiar yellow school buses, some accidents are inevitable. However, many are preventable. Individual school districts and the NHTSA continue to identify persistent driving violations, vehicle maneuvers and accident patterns which claim the lives of young school-age children.

It’s not surprising that the vast majority of school-age pedestrian fatalities occur during the times of morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups. Statistics for 1994 through 2004 reveal that 23% of student pedestrian fatalities occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The afternoon statistics are even more alarming, 51% of all school-age pedestrian deaths occur between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. With these kinds of numbers it’s easy to see why all motorists should be particularly aware and vigilant of safety at these times of day. Sadly, this is not always the case.

The NHTSA reports that stop-arm violations (which involve illegally passing a school bus that has its red lights flashing) as, “relatively common and considered to be the most dangerous driving behavior.”  The Vineland Board of Education in Cumberland County, New Jersey decided to conduct a survey to determine just how common stop-arm violations were in their community. Thirty school bus drivers participated, and documented a staggering 95 illegal passes over a period of only five days.

Many maneuvers may menace children

Illegal passes put students in jeopardy when they are boarding and disembarking school buses and crossing roadways. Children between the ages and five and seven can be the most vulnerable because their small size makes them difficult for motorists to see. Children of this age are also still learning traffic safety, and they often detect unexpected vehicles in their vicinity too late.

Even the most simple of vehicle maneuvers can prove extremely dangerous to student pedestrians. In school-related crashes from 1994 through 2004, over 44% of school-age pedestrian deaths have occurred when the school bus was merely traveling straight. Another 30% have occurred when school buses have been starting from a stopped position in a traffic lane. It is easy to see why bus drivers and all motorists on the road should take extreme caution when driving near school buses and school zones.

So, what can be done to protect young pedestrians in the future?  Local school district officials and municipal police in Cumberland County decided on a three-pronged approach:  to educate motorists regarding the laws and penalties for violating school bus traffic laws, to educate and encourage school bus drivers to report all drivers jeopardizing student safety, and to provide increased law enforcement for areas and times of high risk to student pedestrians. However, too many school districts in the country have yet to implement these protective strategies.

An Adler pedestrian accident lawyer can help

All motorists have a responsibility to exercise extreme caution in the vicinity of school buses and student pedestrians. If you or a loved one has suffered as pedestrian victims in a school bus related crash, it may have been due to negligent drivers.

Contact an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer at Jim S. Adler & Associates to learn more about your pedestrian rights. You could be entitled to financial compensation for expensive medical bills, emotional trauma and other damages. Click on the link on this page or call 1-800-505-1414 for a free case review.