School is resuming in Washington, and many parents are getting ready to send their children on the school bus. Even if it is not the child’s first time, there are many concerns. These are massive vehicles that carry numerous passengers. And, when a collision occurs, many victims result.
But, how often do fatal school bus accidents occur? Based on data from the 2016-2017 school year, there was a total of eight students killed in school bus loading and unloading accidents. The number of fatalities occurring this year is double that, which only saw four deaths.
When looking at the causes, it was determined that six of these eight fatal crashes were attributed to a vehicle passing the school bus. The other two involved the school bus hitting the student. In half of the six fatalities involving other vehicles, the bus did not fully stop. This means that only the amber warning lights were activated. However, the red lights and stop arm were not activated.
When school buses are on the road, bus drivers and other motorists must abide by the rules while driving. Unfortunately, this does not always occur. When negligence and recklessness occurs, this could result in a serious and even fatal crash.
No matter the cause or fault, when passengers and other drivers are harmed in a bus accident, it is important to explore one’s rights in the matter. This might look like asserting any legal recourses available. A personal injury action could help hold a negligent driver accountable, while also helping with the collection of compensation for losses and damages suffered.