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What is the School Bus Danger Zone?

Hello there again folks, I’m Bill Adler and welcome back. In this video we’re going to take a look at an important safety topic that often gets overlooked – school bus safety and what we can do to eliminate the “school bus danger zone” and keep kids safer as they travel to and from school. Let’s dive right in…

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas has an average of 1.4 million students transported by school bus each day of the school year. And for those students, the greatest danger they will face throughout the whole school day is while getting on or off the bus. According to the DPS, around 20 students are killed nationwide every year in accidents while they are boarding or exiting a bus, and many more than that are seriously injured.

Because of the unpredictability in movement that comes with their age, it is five to seven-year-olds who are most often the accident victims in these cases, as they have a tendency to dart across streets and have less awareness of the danger that an older student might. But it’s not only younger students who have been injured in these accidents, so parents should teach their children to be extra careful when entering or exiting the bus, regardless of their age. And, of course, drivers should be vigilant and obey all school bus laws and give the bus and students plenty of space.

According to Texas school bus law, drivers must stop if a bus is halted to load or unload students and has activated its stop sign or its flashing red warning lights. This law applies for cars traveling in either direction – whether the other vehicle is on the same side of the street as the bus or not.

It is during this time period – when students are getting on the bus or getting off – that what’s known as the “school bus danger zone” develops. A majority of injuries and deaths in school bus accidents happen in the area roughly ten feet from all sides of the school bus. While in this zone, there is the potential for children to be struck by other vehicles who have failed to stop or even by the bus itself.

If your child was hurt in a school bus accident, especially one that occurred in the “danger zone,” you’re likely dealing with a lot of different consequences and navigating a traumatic event like that can be difficult to do on your own.

You may have a claim if someone else failed to stop for the school bus or if the school bus driver failed to activate the lights or the sign. And through your claim, you may be able to get compensation to help with your child’s medical bills, your lost wages for taking time off work to help them care for themselves, and more.

If you have questions about this information or you would like to discuss your case, you can get in touch with us at Jim Adler & Associates via the contact form at jimadler.com or at 1-800-567-7575.