What is the Most Common Cause of School Bus Accidents?

Driver error is the most common cause of school bus accidents in California. One of the two kinds of driver error discussed below causes over 98 percent of the bus accidents in the Golden State. As commercial drivers, school bus drivers have a duty of utmost care. They have very little margin for error. This higher duty of care applies at every point in a trip, including safe student pickup and dropoff.

The higher duty of care makes it easier for a Carlsbad auto accident lawyer to establish negligence, or a lack of care. If school bus driver negligence causes injury, compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. The school district that employed the bus driver is financially responsible for these damages, at least in most cases.

Aggressive Driving

School bus drivers must stick to very strict schedules. That’s especially true if, as is usually the case, one school bus driver must cover multiple routes, because of bus driver shortages. As a result, school bus drivers often speed when possible, particularly if there are any issues picking up or dropping off students. More on that below.

Speed increases the risk of a crash and the force in a collision. Speeding drivers have less time to react to rapidly changing situations. The nature of school buses adds to the risk.

• Because they sit so high, school bus drivers have very poor sight lines.
• Usually, school buses are out and about near dawn and around sunset, when visibility is limited.
• School bus drivers must navigate through narrow streets that weren’t designed for large vehicles.

Furthermore, speed multiplies the force in a collision. Most school bus accidents are serious injury collisions because these vehicles are so large to begin with.

Operator Impairment

Driver distraction, perhaps the most dangerous kind of operator impairment, often causes pickup and dropoff accidents. School bus drivers often deal with unique distraction issues.

• Mostly due to budget cuts, many school buses don’t have chaperones. Therefore, school bus drivers must watch unruly children as they operate large vehicles. That’s a nearly impossible task.
• Under state law, drivers must stop when a school bus is loading or unloading. But many drivers ignore this requirement. Therefore, school bus operators must continue watching the road as they pick up and drop off children.
• Children must be picked up and dropped off at safe locations. There’s a difference between a busy location and a safe location.

The aforementioned drive times sometimes come into play as well. Many people are naturally fatigued early in the morning, no matter how much sleep they had the night before, especially if they recently changed schedules. Also as mentioned, many California school districts heavily rely on substitute drivers.

Work With a Savvy San Diego County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Carlsbad, contact the Pursley Law Firm. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.

Source:

injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-safety-issues/improper-driving-and-road-rage/