Most Indiana students have gone back to school already. Full lunch boxes, full backpacks and full schedules are in full force. Some parents feel happily put their children on the school bus in the mornings. Others believe that they are being better parents by personally driving their kids to school.
Which is the safer option? According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), school buses are statistically the safest vehicle on the road. Children are much safer taking the bus to school than being driven in a personal vehicle.
3 reasons school transportation is safer
School bus accidents do make national headlines, but the fact is they are the safest transportation option for your children. Here are three reasons why this might be:
- Higher safety standards: Safety regulations for school buses are much higher than regular buses. They are protected by numerous laws that protect children when getting on or off the bus.
- Bigger is better: Buses are much larger than other vehicles and can safely absorb an impact if they are involved in an accident.
- Designed for safety: Buses are designed specifically with safety in mind, such as being painted in bright colors, having flashing lights and stop-sign arms.
Up to six children die in school bus accidents each year. However, this represents less than 1% of annual vehicle-related deaths in the United States. So, next time you are thinking about how your child will get to school, consider that children are 70 times more likely to arrive at school safely on the bus than in your car.
As the saying goes, accidents do happen. If an accident related to school transportation should befall your family, it can be helpful to have professional guidance that is experienced in motor vehicle accidents in Indiana.
