SCHOOL BUS SERVICE CUTS COULD LEAD TO MORE DEATHS
On every level, it seems that the current economy is wreaking havoc on consumers. The latest cuts include busing services for students. Now, it is our children who will suffer the consequences of this latest cost-cutting measure.
The reduction of school bus service means more danger on the roadways and potentially higher risks for students walking home from school. In a report on CNN, Mac Dashney, a consultant with the Pupil Transportation and Management Institute opines that for every bus that you take off the road, which would normally carry between 65 and 77 passengers, you are adding 30 to 40 more cars on the road.
A 2007 Congressional report outlined the risks of taking children off of school buses. The report states that 12.5 million students took 5.5 billion school bus trip between 1995 and 2005. Of those trips, there were 1,368 fatal crashes, 97 of which involved a bus driver or bus passenger. Conversely, the death toll among student who attend school by other means was 40 times higher.
In addition to an increased risk of being involved in a car crash, there is an increased risk for students who are walking home from school. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), child pedestrians are at higher risk for injuries than adults for several reasons:
kids' smaller size make them more difficult for drivers to see, kids have less ability to judge distances and speeds and kids have less understanding of traffic rules and the right-of-way.
Student safety should be the top priority. Dashney says that options for saving money on transportation without cutting service include privatizing bus service, renegotiating contracts, increasing property taxes and charging parents for bus service.
If you have been injured in a car or bus crash, please contact the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll.
