School Bus Crash in McDuffie County Injures Three Students
Could seat belts in school buses prevent injuries to students?
Recently, a McDuffie County school bus was involved in an accident that left several students injured. The accident happened when the driver of a pickup truck failed to yield after stopping at a stop sign, ramming into a school bus carrying 45 students. Three students were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, while the driver of the pickup truck sustained serious injuries in the accident.
Improving School Bus Safety
This McDuffie County crash is the latest in a string of school bus accidents occurring across Georgia. In August, a 15-year-old student was killed and dozens of others injured in a Valdosta school bus accident. Other crashes include a school bus accident in East Albany and one in Gwinnett County.
Statistically, school bus accidents remain relatively rate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that only five school-age passengers are killed in school bus crashes every year and about 17,000 people are injured, including pedestrians. Still, for the parents of school aged children, even one student death a year is too much.
School bus accidents in Georgia and nationwide have spurred some parents and safety officials to consider what steps can be taken to improve school bus safety. The NHTSA recently reversed its policy concerning seat belts on school buses and now officially recommends that students wear lap and shoulder belts on their way to and from school. Only a few states, however, have implemented statewide seat belt use aboard school buses. Georgia is not one of them.
Seat belts have saved millions of lives since their invention and widespread adoption. For school-aged children, seat belts on buses could hold them safely in place in the event of a serious crash. But cost is a major issue to consider before Georgia enacts a mandatory seat belt law. If the number of school bus accidents in Georgia continues to climb, it seems likely legislatures will be considering the use of seat belts on school buses in the near future. Anyone injured in a school bus accident is urged to contact Randall F. Rogers, PC. Contact us today at (770) 590-0300 to schedule your free consultation.
Posted in: Automobile Wrecks