SCHOOL BUS SAFETY IN CHICAGO
With the first day of school in the Chicagoland area comes the time-honored tradition of riding a yellow school bus. Many parents feel confident placing the safety of their children with the bus driver. At times, nothing could be further from the truth. As a personal injury attorney handling bus accident cases, I want to emphasize that more needs to be done to protect our children.
An average of 20 children die in school transportation-related crashes each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Just last May, fourteen children were injured in a Wisconsin bus collision with a semi-trailer.
There are ways of school districts protecting our children. For example, school districts should ensure the bus driver have adequate driving experience. According to the Department of Labor, many people who become school bus drivers have never driven any vehicle larger than a car. Bus drivers should have an adequate amount of training prior to driving the bus. Some school districts require between one and four weeks of training whereas others require up to eight weeks. Schools should also hold emergency bus evacuation drills at least twice years, in addition to providing a written evacuation plan. School district and state administrators should provide supervision for properly loading and unloading children especially in areas of high traffic congestion.
By taking the appropriate precautions, school districts can prevent bus accidents as well as reduce their liability. In doing so, they will be protecting our most precious commodity - our children.
If your family has been affected by a bus-related accident, please contact a highly qualified Chicago personal injury attorney or visit The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll's website.
