BUS SAFETY TIPS CAN HELP YOU PREVENT ACCIDENTS

Just the thought of a bus accident is enough to terrify. Given their sheer size, not to mention the number of passengers they carry, buses can be especially intimidating on the road — and potentially catastrophic if something goes wrong. That’s especially true with school buses, which carry the most precious passengers of all.

Sadly, bus accidents are on all our minds following this month’s head-on, multi-vehicle crash with a NJ Transit bus in East Orange. Tragically, the incident claimed three innocent lives. It wasn’t a school bus, and no children were reported among the injured, but several other passengers were referred for medical care.

Now, parents and passengers alike are giving more careful thought to bus safety tips.

Why Bus Crashes Happen

Buses are defined by several key characteristics that can make them difficult to navigate and more prone to catastrophic injury. These include:

  • Limited driver visibility
  • Bigger vehicle size and heavier weight
  • Failure of other drivers to behave carefully around buses and bus stops
  • Different legal safety standards that can leave bus passengers less secure than car riders
  • Increased risk of vehicle rolling
  • Fuel volume that can lead to fire damage and burns
  • Larger number of passengers with greater likelihood of catastrophic damage
  • Susceptibility of children to injury in school bus accidents

School Bus Safety Tips

Now’s a good time to sit down with your kids and review school bus safety tips. Consider the following good advice for riding, boarding, and departing a bus:

  • Don’t get on the bus until the driver says it’s okay.
  • Wait safely away from the road.
  • Never wait at a bus stop alone. Make sure an adult knows where you are at all times.
  • Sit down as soon as you board the bus and stay seated, facing forward.
  • If you drop something on the ground or road, ask the driver for help retrieving it.
  • Exit the bus with caution and always look for traffic before stepping onto the road.
  • If your child carries a cell phone, make sure they know how and when to call 911.

Ensuring School Bus Safety for Morris County, NJ and Beyond

At The Law Offices of James C. DeZao, P.A., we’re dedicated to ensuring the safety of all the children and families in our community, which includes the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District, Randolph Township Schools, Roxbury School District, Morris School District, Montville Township, Mount Olive Township District, and many more.

We are a Morris County personal injury law firm dedicated to the wellbeing of New Jersey. If you have any questions about the bus safety laws in our state, don’t hesitate to give our office a call. We’re here to help, and we wish everyone straight A’s in the upcoming school year!