Knowing School Bus Laws Can Prevent Many Mishaps
School buses can be dangerous because students sit without seat belts. When a bus collides with other vehicles, the extent of injuries can be severe. In Fort Myers, the danger of school bus accidents is high.
Common reasons behind bus accidents are negligent driving, failure to follow school-bus laws, and ignoring traffic rules. School bus drivers should be trained enough to drive safely, and they should be aware of all the related regulations, but in reality, they are all too often deficient.
Ignoring Laws Can Lead To Devastating Accidents
Ignoring any law while driving a school bus can land school children in trouble. If a school bus has an accident, the passengers can face serious injuries. The driver can also land in serious legal trouble for negligence and failure to safeguard children from a road accident.
In case of accidents, the injured children or their parents can sue the responsible person and seek compensation for all damages. School bus drivers can easily protect students and must exercise caution, and both the school district and the bus company they contract with to provide the bus and driver are responsible to ensure safe conditions..
If your child has been involved in an accident on a school bus, talking to a Fort Myers Auto Accident Lawyer and discussing all the details can be a wise decision. He can help you take the proper legal steps to look after your child’s interest. He can stand for your child’s rights by investigating the case and help get the fullest possible compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, or any other damages your child has suffered.
Common School Bus Injuries You Should Know
Several common accidents occur often on school buses. Here are some of them:
- The bus driver applies brakes suddenly, which throws passengers off the seats;
- The driver collides with another vehicle on the road;
- The child’s clothes or bags get stuck on the bus or bus door while getting down, and the child is dragged with the bus;
- The driver missed seeing another car crossing the road in front of the bus and crashed.
There can be many similar incidents resulting in road collisions involving school buses. Safety should be kept a top priority while employing any vehicle for children’s use and while hiring drivers, but it is all too often neglected.
Schools should also pay special attention while choosing buses. Sometimes, crashes happen due to poor design or a lack of safety features in the bus. Not all schools and not all bus companies bear this in mind, and source buses from the lowest bidder. If any mishaps occur due to the school’s negligence, victims can sue the school for their irresponsible behavior.
School buses are heavy vehicles and require unique driving skill sets, a high level of attention while driving, and experience. Sometimes, the driver’s lack of skill and distracted driving cause bus accidents. When we see the statistics of school accidents in the United States, we understand the need for better training and more caution in this regard.
It Is Every Driver’s Responsibility To Keep The Road Safe
Oftentimes, school bus accidents are caused by other vehicles and the bus driver is not at fault, or holds much less responsibility. As vehicle drivers, we must know the rules of the road to prevent accidents, especially school bus collisions. Awareness can help in school bus-related crashes. So all drivers must take essential steps to safeguard our children from facing potentially fatal injuries.
Here are some tips that helps drivers avoid school bus crashes:
- Avoid tailgating. Don’t follow any school bus too closely. Sometimes, other vehicles following the school bus come into blind spots. Hence, the driver fails to notice another car approaching and ends up crashing.
- Pay attention to movements on the road. The signals, vehicles, the people, and other things around you, especially when any school bus is around you, are all of vital importance. Minor negligence can cause colossal damage.
- Watch for the stop sign that school buses show when dropping and picking up passengers, before stopping, and after stopping. If any school bus has stopped, or is flashing its blinking lights, you must stop your vehicle while the bus is stopped to drop or pick up any child. Failure to do so, even if you don’t have an accident, can cost you your driver’s license.
- Pay attention to the sides of the road, especially around school bus stops. These are often marked with signs but not always. Slow and be ready to stop if any child is crossing the road, waiting for the bus, getting down, or boarding the bus.
- Don’t ever pass a school bus if you observe any child getting down or boarding the bus, even if the lights aren’t flashing and the stop sign is not out.
- Don’t speed in a school zone, or anywhere a school bus is operating.
- Keep a safe distance from any bus. When you are close it is difficult to see the sides of the bus. If you are cautious and keep a safe distance, any mishaps can be avoided from your side.
Educate Children About Avoiding School Bus Collisions
School Children should also be taught to take necessary precautions while on the bus, boarding, or getting off the vehicle. Parents and school teachers should take responsibility for children being aware of safety measures to be safe.
Parents and educators should teach children the proper way to cross the road, get into the bus, exit the bus, and use crosswalks, intersections, and other measures. Children need to know about keeping a safe distance from the road while waiting for the bus.
It is school management’s responsibility to equip their buses with all necessary safety equipment like signal lamps, flashing lights, rooftop warning lamps, sound horns, lights, and indicators.
If your child has been injured in a school bus accident, book a free legal consultation with us and we can explain the best ways to overcome this tough situation. We have gained enough experience in handling relevant cases and have helped many clients gain full and fair compensation.