An average of 23 school-age children die in school transportation-related traffic crashes each year—6 occupants of school transportation vehicles and 17 pedestrians. From the latest reporting period of 1994 to 2004, nearly half of school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between the ages of 5 and 7 years old.  More school-age pedestrians are killed in the afternoon than in the morning, with 36 percent of the fatalities occurring in crashes between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

School bus related crashes kill an average of 164 people per year. Over the past six years, about 70% of the deaths in fatal school bus related crashes were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus and 20% were pedestrians according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

An important message from these statistics is that although drivers of all vehicles are required to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading passengers, children should not rely on them to do so, and should always check to make sure traffic has stopped before proceeding.

Seat belts required on small school buses effective 2011

On October 15, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced a federal rule that will require lap-and-shoulder belts on small school buses as well as higher seat backs on all school buses.

The new rule, drafted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), will make the nation’s 474,000 school buses safer by also raising safety standards for seat belts on larger school buses.

The rule was prompted after a tragic school bus accident that claimed the lives of four teenagers when their bus flew over a highway overpass on Nov. 2006.

According to the new rule, smaller school buses (weighing less than 5 tons) will be required to install seat belts that cover both the lap and the torso.  These busses already required to carry lap seat belts.  Secretary Peters explained that smaller school buses are more in need of the new seatbelts since they cannot absorb shock from a crash as well as the larger buses.  Peters also explained that in larger buses, implementation of three point seatbelts would limit the number of children that could fit in seats.  This, she explained, would force some children to travel in much less safer ways than on a school bus.

The new rule will also mandate higher seats in all school buses.  By raising the seats from 20 inches to 24 inches, officials hope to prevent taller and heavier children from being thrown over their seats during an accident.

“Even though riding in school buses is the safest form of travel in America today, any accident is still a tragedy,” said Secretary Peters . “Taken together, these steps are designed with a single purpose, making children safer.”

The rule will allow school districts to put federal highway safety funds towards the cost of installing seat belts.  The rule becomes fully effective in 2011.

Of the 25 million children that travel to school on 474,000 school buses in America, about six are killed annually in school bus accidents.

Related Links

READ THE FINAL RULE:

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration press release

Assoc Press: Govt wants kids to buckle up on small school buses