What Are the Most Common Types of School Bus Accidents?

School enrollment is up in almost every district in San Diego County. But the number of school bus drivers has decreased almost 20 percent since 2019. As a result, many districts consolidate routes, meaning that drivers operate in unfamiliar parts of town early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when it’s dark outside. Route consolidation also means that these drivers often travel faster than they should, in order to meet hectic schedules.

This environment creates a fertile ground for school bus accidents. These incidents usually cause multiple serious injuries and are legally complex. Usually, students don’t have seat belts. So, a minor collision could cause serious injuries. Furthermore, if a school district owned the bus, California’s limited sovereign immunity law may apply. So, only the best Carlsbad bus accident lawyer should handle these claims.

Pickup/Dropoff

This type of school bus accident often begins when the driver has the best of intentions. As mentioned, because of route consolidation and other issues, school buses often drop off children after it gets dark, especially in the winter.

The school district designates certain drop-off locations because they’re relatively safe. Many times, however, drivers change these drop-off points so young children don’t have to walk home alone in the dark. These redesignated locations are often in the middle of the street. That’s a very dangerous place to drop off a child, especially if the child must cross the street.

Weak state laws often come into play as well. If a school bus is picking up or dropping off children, all traffic doesn’t have to stop, putting children at risk.

Driver Impairment

We mentioned that most school bus drivers are behind the wheel early in the morning. Most people are naturally drowsy at this time of day, no matter how much sleep they had the night before. Therefore, when it comes to school bus accidents, driver fatigue is a serious issue.

Fatigue is more than feeling sleepy. Fatigue affects the brain. Specifically, it affects judgment ability and reaction time. Alcohol has the same effect. In fact, driving while fatigued is like driving with a .05 BAC level. That’s above the legal limit for school bus drivers, and other commercial drivers, in California.

Arguably, drowsy drivers know they should take extra precautions before they get behind the wheel, but they don’t do so. Therefore, a San Marcos personal injury lawyer can usually obtain additional compensation in these cases.

Aggressive Driving

Speeding is the most common, and most dangerous, form of aggressive driving. Since school buses are so big and drivers have such poor sight lines, they must drive under the posted limit to safely operate their vehicles, especially if it’s dark outside or environmental or traffic conditions are otherwise poor.

Speed increases the risk of a wreck and the force in a collision. Speeding drivers have less time to react to fast-changing situations, like a driver who changes lanes or speeds unexpectedly. Furthermore, speed multiplies the force in a collision, according to Newton’s Second Law of Gravity.

Work With a Dedicated San Diego County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in San Marcos, contact the Pursley Law Firm. Virtual, home, and after-hours visits are available.

Source:

epi.org/blog/the-school-bus-driver-shortage-remains-severe-without-job-quality-improvements-workers-children-and-parents-will-suffer/