Tennessee Accident Attorneys Answer How Safe is Riding the School Bus?
Parents across Memphis and all over America get their children ready for school every weekday morning. After the children have gotten dressed and eaten breakfast, the next step of their weekday routine often includes getting on the school bus. After school, the children get back on the school bus to return home. Parents and children depend on school buses as a reliable source of transportation. Since many children ride in school buses, it makes sense that parents would want to know how safe school buses are.
In February of this year, eighteen students went to the hospital following an accident involving a school bus in Memphis. The injuries were all minor, and students who were not injured were loaded onto another bus, which took them to school. Parents who arrived at the accident scene shortly after they received word of the crash said that they felt very anxious as they drove to the place where the accident was. Once they saw the accident scene, and learned that no one had suffered any severe injuries, they were relieved.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, school buses are the safest way to get to and from school. Statistics support this conclusion, indicating that riding the school bus is seven times safer than riding to school in a car or truck.
As you probably know, there are not seat belts on school buses. If there are not seat belts, something else must keep the children on the bus safe in the event of a crash. There are several reasons why children are not often seriously injured in school bus accidents, despite the lack of seat belts. The large size of a school bus is a contributing factor, because it disperses the impact of the collision over a much larger area than a passenger vehicle would. Also, as you may remember, the seats on school buses are cushioned and have high backs. The seats divide the bus into smaller compartments, reducing the amount of movement that the individual passengers experience during an accident. School bus drivers must meet high standards in order to be hired for a bus driving job, and they attend regular safety trainings which cover topics like emergency medical care and security.
Even though school buses are a very safe mode of transportation for the students who are inside of them, some school bus-related fatalities do occur. Pedestrians account for the largest number of fatalities. Sometimes, the pedestrian is hit by the school bus. At other times, the pedestrian is struck by a driver who is passing the school bus illegally.
School buses are a very safe way of getting kids to and from school. Fortunately, school bus accidents are uncommon, and injuries sustained in school bus accidents are usually minor. If you or someone else that you know has been injured in a school bus accident, it is important that you consult with a knowledgeable automobile accident attorney right away. The experienced Tennessee accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC offer caring and compassionate assistance to accident victims and their families. We will sit down with you to discuss your case, and help you to understand the various courses of action which may be available to you. We can even help you to choose the best way to proceed, by taking your priorities into account. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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