Christine Ridout
Approximately 47% of public school students ride a school bus to and from school every day. But how safe are school buses and how safe is your child riding one?
A study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services concluded that "School buses are the safest form of motor vehicle travel in the U.S." School buses meet stringent federal safety standards for crash worthiness and for occupant crash production.
Nationally, approximately 11 children are killed annually while inside a school bus and 15 are fatally injured as pedestrians in the loading and unloading zones. This compares with 600 child fatalities in passenger cars going to and from school, usually with mom at the wheel. Walking is even more dangerous.
The majority of school bus accidents occur when children are getting on or off the bus, not when they are on the bus. Such fatalities occur when a child is struck by his own school bus, including incidents when children's clothing or backpacks get caught in the bus door or on the hand railings. Other fatalities result when another motor vehicle passes a stopped school bus and strikes a child.
What Parents Should Know About School Buses
The interior of a school bus is designed like an egg carton and works on the same theory. Children are "compartmentalized" in seats which are heavily padded, strong and well-anchored, have high backs, and minimal space between seats. During a crash, they rattle around their own compartments, sustaining a minimum of injuries.
Seat belts on full-sized school buses have not increased safety significantly. Decades of study by the Federal government have shown repeatedly that seatbelts in school busses are not warranted. This is not true, however, on school buses under 10,000 pounds. Federal law requires 3-point seat belts on these vehicles because of their smaller size.
When seat belts are used, the three-point system of shoulder and lap restraint is safer, because it protects the internal organs of smaller children during a crash.
According to the study "Injuries to Children Restrained in 2-and 3-Point Belts," lap belts alone are not safe for small children and can actually cause injuries to hips, the abdominal wall, fracture of the spine and intra-abdominal injury. The report concluded that "Children restrained in 3-point belts exhibit a similar pattern of injury to those in 2-point belts; however, 3-point belts appear to be protective for the lumbar spine."
Tips for Keeping Children Safe
The single biggest factor in keeping children safe is educating them about school bus safety, particularly the hazards when getting on and off the bus. Experts recommend the following:
• At least one adult should be present at a bus stop morning and afternoon to reduce rowdy behavior which can lead to injury.
• Children must be taught to be aware of traffic around the bus. They should look both ways when crossing, never assume that all traffic will stop, stay alert and listen to the driver's instructions.
• Children must stay out of the "Danger Area"' - anywhere within 10 feet of the bus. Children must never try to retrieve items left on the bus or that have fallen underneath the bus.
• Children should stay in their seats and keep noise at a reasonable level.
• Hands, heads and feet must stay inside the bus.
• Children should not throw objects inside the bus or out the windows.
• Cooperation with the driver is essential.
• Be at the bus stop early. This will avoid last minute dashes across busy streets.
In addition to educating their children, parents should remove loose or dangling straps or strings, including those on backpacks that could snag on the bus during loading and unloading. Parents should avoid clothing with drawstrings (cut off the ones already on children's clothing), long dangling coats, jackets, and scarves, and should adjust backpack straps to an appropriate length.
Also, add reflective clothing or reflective strips to clothing and backpacks. This makes children more visible to passing motorists, especially children who wait for school buses in pre-daylight hours and return home at dusk or later.
October 19-25, 2003 is National School Bus Safety Week. Take this opportunity to review school bus safety with your children and look for additional tips during the week.
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