National Survey Reveals Student Deaths Caused by School Buses, Highlights Need for Ongoing Safety Programs
In light of recent reports of student deaths and serious injuries in Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Pennsylvania, the 48th annual National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey revealed that six students were killed while loading or unloading school buses in the 2017-2018 school year. Three of the deaths were caused by vehicles illegally passing the bus.
The annual survey keeps school bus safety top-of-mind for drivers, parents and students across the nation. It illustrates an ongoing need for school bus safety training for students and bus drivers, along with ongoing driver education programs to ensure the public understands the laws associated with school buses.
Since the survey was launched 48 years ago, states have reported 1,244 fatalities related to school bus riding. Each year, the Kansas State Department of Education and the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services combine data from each state and the District of Columbia to analyze trends in school bus-related fatalities and raise awareness about school bus safety.
To help cities combat illegal school bus passing and keep students safe, Redflex offers Student Guardian®, an automated school bus stop-arm enforcement system. The system uses state-of-the-art technology to capture the data of vehicles that illegally pass school buses while the bus is stopped, the stop-arm and warning lights are displayed, and children are loading or unloading.