Over 20 million children ride the bus to school, and their school day begins the moment they step foot on the bus. Despite the lack of seatbelts, statistics show that riding the bus is one of the safest ways for children to get to school. In fact, your child is more likely to be injured in a car accident if they are riding in your car, truck or SUV than on a school bus.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses have a mere 0.2 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. In comparison, the rate of deaths in passenger cars and trucks is eight times higher.

Passing Motorists Endanger Children's Lives

While bus accidents are few and far between, the real danger for children is when they are getting on and off the bus. By law, motorists are supposed to STOP when the bus lights are flashing, but all too often impatient motorists ignore the flashing lights.

Each year, emergency rooms across the country see children who have been injured by motorists who attempted to pass as they were getting on or off the bus. Sometimes, these children do not survive.

According to Dayton Children's Hospital, three times as many children are killed while getting on or off the bus than while riding one. Additionally, of all the school bus-related fatalities, more than 40 percent of the victims were pedestrians, who are usually children who are exiting or boarding their school bus.

Recently, a disturbing Facebook post by a bus driver went viral. In the video, the bus driver captured countless cars speeding by while the bus was stopped and her children were getting on and off the bus. The video would make any parent cringe.

The bus driver's video confirmed what studies have already proven, that hundreds of thousands of motorists pass stopped school busses every day, endangering children's lives.

If your child was injured in a bus-related accident, contact a car accident attorney to file a claim!