This week witnessed another serious accident involving school buses in Torrington, Connecticut.
And if that is not enough to make a parent uneasy, think about this frightening statistic…
Did you know that a recent study looking at bus safety in 28 states found that there is more than 76,000 illegal school bus passes each and every day – or 13 million each year???
Incredible – right?
These school bus accidents and statistics bring the issue of bus safety to the fore again. Can technology eliminate safety issues once and for all?
Well, school bus safety engineers are trying. Here are just some of the newest tools.
New School Bus Safety Features:
- Adding strobe lights to the stop warning devices on all buses. Strobes can be seen from a distance three times farther than traditional warning lights.
- Undercarriage alarms. Did you know that, on average, more than 20 children a year are killed after being run over by their own bus? This device sounds an alarm if a child cuts under a bus bumper or tries to retrieve an item they dropped from under a bus.
- Danger Area Detection. Here radar technology is used to warn bus drivers of objects in the danger zone of their bus – including pedestrians and motor vehicles.
- Black box recorders. These devices allow bus companies to monitor bus speeds, length of stop times, number of hours of driver operation and more.
- Rear-view cameras. These cameras send a live image to the driver, warning of pedestrians or motor vehicles moving in areas where children are discharging and walking.
- Stop violation cameras. These cameras can be mounted on buses to allow bus drivers to record the license number, make, model, and color of the cars or trucks that violate the school bus stop laws.
- GPS. More bus companies are installing GPS on their vehicles so that buses can be tracked as well as located easily in the event of an accident.
Well, what about safety belts?
Actually – school buses are built to provide a significant degree of safety for passengers. The seats are well anchored, placed in close proximity to each other, have high backs, and are filled with materials that can absorb the impact of a crash. And studies on safety belts in school buses have shown that belts can actually increase the likelihood of head and neck injuries.
If your child is ever injured in a school bus accident, call a qualified Connecticut school bus accident lawyer. A knowledgeable school bus accident lawyer can help to ensure that your child’s rights are protected.
The lawyers at RisCassi & Davis have handled many school bus accident cases over our nearly 60 years serving the people of Connecticut. And we have received both state and national recognition for our work in this area.
Please contact us if we can help you. The consultation is free and there is no obligation of any kind. And – there is no fee or other costs unless we are successful on your behalf.