| According to the National Highway Traffic Safety | | | | to pay for their failures." |
| Administration, over 25 million students are in school | | | | The girl received a substantial settlement. Through |
| with an average of 500,000 school buses on the | | | | extensive medical care and physical therapy, she is |
| roads. While school buses are statistically one of the | | | | recovering. |
| safest modes of transportation, more than twice as | | | | School budget and school districts in many states are |
| many children are killed while getting on or off school | | | | frequently in dire straits and are forced to make |
| buses than while riding in them. Preventable School | | | | choices in how their limited funds are expended. |
| Bus Accident | | | | Somehow the important issue of school bus safety |
| A 12-year-old girl was hit by a school bus in a South | | | | goes to the back of the bus and doesn't get |
| New Jersey middle school parking lot. She was | | | | addressed. |
| walking across the parking lot which had no | | | | School Bus Safety Problems |
| designated lines for pedestrian paths and no cross | | | | In 2002, 26 children were killed as pedestrians getting |
| walks. She was run over by the rear tire of a school | | | | on or off a school bus, or while waiting at the school |
| bus as it came around a loop. She suffered multiple | | | | bus stop. Other motorists illegally passing a stopped |
| fractures and serious internal injuries. | | | | school bus remain a problem in every community and |
| The bus driver was not faulted. The girl was walking | | | | the school bus industry urges stricter police and |
| between two cars. | | | | judicial enforcement against violators. |
| At fault was the school district for failing to provide a | | | | School buses always are operated by drivers with a |
| parking lot with visibly designated markings; failing to | | | | Commercial Drivers License (CDL), required by the |
| provide appropriate cross walks; and failing to provide | | | | U.S. Department of Transportation, and who have |
| a school safety plan for bus arrivals and departures. | | | | received special school bus driver training required by |
| "This case, on first blush, appeared to be one of a | | | | states. In addition, no one can drive a school bus |
| careless child darting out between parked cars and | | | | without first passing drug and alcohol screening and |
| running into the side of a bus, causing her own | | | | required law enforcement background checks. |
| injuries", states Larry Cohan, counsel for the victim. | | | | There is no safer way to transport a child than in a |
| "After careful analysis, and expert review, it became | | | | school bus. Fatal crashes involving school bus |
| apparent that this child was a victim of bad planning | | | | occupants are rare events, even though school buses |
| and bad design by her school. Had there been proper | | | | drive a remarkable 8.8 billion students to and from |
| crosswalks, a safety plan and supervision, this child | | | | school annually. Every school day, some 500,000 |
| would not have even been crossing where she was, | | | | yellow school buses transport more than 25 million |
| and the incident would not have occurred. The | | | | children to and from schools mostly without a serious |
| irresponsible school officials, who created this danger, | | | | incident. |
| were clearly negligent, and the school was required | | | | |