New York Personal Injury Attorneys BlogScary NY School Bus Accident
A school bus caught on fire after a violent collision with a car in Airmont, Rockland county. No information was released in regards to potential injuries and if the bus was carrying children or not at the time of the accident. The crash occurred last Thursday on Saddle River Road around 3:30 pm.
How safe are my children in a school bus?
A school bus accident is the worry of every parent. How safe is it for children to be transported by bus everyday from their house to their school? Would it be safer for parents to drive them to school? According to statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), transporting children in school buses is 70 times safer than transporting them by cars. In New York State, 2 million students ride 18,000 school buses every school day. New York is indeed the State that has the biggest school bus fleet among all States in the US.
Should all school buses be equipped with seat belts?
The state of New York mandates that all school buses be outfitted with lap belts. Then every school can decide if they want to enforce wearing the seat belt. Some schools are very strict about it while others recommend students wear it but let them choose.
There is a big debate about using seat belts in school buses. The NHTSA believes that belts are not necessary and that school buses are safe enough without belts while the National Transportation Safety Board argues that seat belts are safer for students while being transported in a school bus.
In a case like the accident that occurred in Rockland, the seat belt might be useful during the crash as children might avoid being ejected from their seat at the time of the impact but what happens if a child panics as the bus catchs fire and can’t open the seat belt?
