Understanding School Bus Safety

The engineers in our Transportation Group can investigate accidents involving trucks, passenger vehicles, and even school buses. School buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than passenger cars and light trucks. Due to these differences in design and weight, bus passengers experience a smaller crash force than those in passenger cars and vans.

School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road – they are specifically designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries. Stop-sign arm laws are also in place in every state to protect children from other motorists. Many school buses record hard-braking events, which CED can recover after an accident. School buses also have surveillance cameras to see the driver and passengers which can provide important information for an accident investigation.

Large school buses are designed to provide crash protection to passengers through a concept called “compartmentalization.” Through compartmentalization, children are protected from crashes by strong, closely-spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs. School busses are highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors, and stop-sign arms.

Through this design, children are provided the safest transportation; students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus versus traveling by car. The US Department of Transportation reports that four to six children die each year on school transportation vehicles – less than one percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide.

National School Bus Safety Week, October 18-22, serves as a reminder for students, parents, teachers, and the community to keep school bus safety in the forefront. When it comes to crash investigation, you can rely on the expertise of the engineers at CED. The Transportation Group works as a team to review evidence, investigate cases, and draw conclusions. Contact us for your next case or claim or submit a request online.

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