School Bus Safety Questioned After Deadly Crashes

New concerns are being raised over school bus safety after two recent accidents left one student and one bus driver dead and a number of students injured.

According to ABC News, one school bus accident happened in Indiana and the other in Washington State. Neither of the vehicles was equipped with passenger seatbelts because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) does not require them in larger buses. The administration contends that the buses are designed to hold students in place with narrow widths between the seats and high seatbacks.

The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly disagrees with the NHTSA policy of seatbelts for large school buses and is calling for all new buses to be equipped with lap/shoulder belts.

Nearly 17,000 children are sent to the emergency room each year due to injuries invovling school buses, according to a pediatrician.

If your child was harmed in a school bus accident, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.

Photo courtesy of Ingrid Taylar via Wikimedia Commons.