School Bus-Related Pedestrian Accidents Are a Sad Reality

As children head back to school during the months of August and September, it is important to emphasize school zone safety in an effort to reduce school bus related injuries. While many children suffer injuries while riding on school buses that are involved in crashes, most children suffer injuries as pedestrians — as the most dangerous time for students who ride the bus is getting on and off the bus, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is due to the following reasons, and when these incidents involve driver negligence, a Sunrise pedestrian accident lawyer can help families pursue accountability and compensation.

• Walking to the bus stop. Many children are in a hurry to get to the bus that they aren’t paying attention to the surrounding traffic. It is important to build in enough time to get to the bus stop so that children aren’t in too big of a hurry, as rushing increases the chances of pedestrians getting injured or killed—especially when drivers are distracted or visibility is low.
• Stepping off the bus. When children exit the bus, they need to make sure they are in the driver’s view and to notify the driver if they have dropped something near the bus.
• Crossing the street. Children need to know never to dart out from behind a bus and that they always need to look for traffic by looking left, then right, then left again before crossing the street. However, drivers need to always assume that children will be crossing the street when a bus is stopped and to stay alert near school zones and school buses.

Because children are small and difficult to see, drivers need to pay more attention and look out for child pedestrians — especially in school zones. In order to increase child pedestrian safety, drivers need to remind themselves to always stop at stop signs, obey the speed limits, drive slower in school zones, yield to pedestrians at crosswalks, and never drive distracted.

The truth of the matter is that many pedestrian accidents occur because drivers are in a hurry or because they are focusing on their phones or various tasks other than driving. When drivers aren’t paying full attention to the road ahead and their surroundings, they can miss seeing a small child crossing the street. Reducing school zone pedestrian accidents starts with slowing down, staying alert, and eliminating distractions—especially during pick-up and drop-off times.

When a child is injured or killed due to a driver’s negligence, justice needs to be served. It is critical that parents of injured or deceased children seek legal advice immediately. If you are going through this type of traumatic situation, you probably have many questions. To find out about your legal rights and to get answers to your questions, contact Law Offices of David Benenfeld for a free consultation at (954) 677-0155 today.