Atlanta School Bus Crash Injures 2: Is Your Child Safe On The Bus?

The school year has just started, and two people have already been injured in a Georgia school bus accident. This crash is being blamed on a distracted driver.

The Atlanta bus accident occurred just after 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 16 at the intersection of Roswell Road and Chastain Drive. An Atlanta Public Schools bus was picking up students on its way to North Atlanta High School when it was rear-ended by a white Mercedes.

The driver of the Mercedes, Ali Spizman, sustained minor injuries as did the driver of the school bus. No students were injured.

Last year, there was a string of school bus accidents in Georgia, including a three bus crash in April that left 10 children injured. Parents may be questioning how safe it is for children to ride the bus to school.

Statistics say that your child is safer on the bus than in a car. These statistics come from the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Statistics:

Number of school busses used to transport children to school in the United States: 474,000
Number of American children who travel to school in a school bus: 25,100,000 million
Average number of children injured each year in school bus accidents: 8,000
Average number of school bus passengers who die in accidents each year: 8

Not all these injuries occurred in motor vehicle collisions. In fact, only 42 percent of school bus passenger injuries occur in motor vehicle injuries. Another 25 percent occur when children are boarding or exiting the bus. Other accidents occur when children slip and fall or when drivers make sharp turns or suddenly brake.

Could these injuries be reduced if school busses required seat belts? Possibly. It costs about $3,500 for a school bus to be retrofitted with seat belts. However, the slow economy means that schools are struggling to make ends meet; seat belts are not likely to be a high priority.

How can you help keep your child safe? After last year's Carroll County crash, Atlanta auto accident attorney Shane Smith compiled a list of school bus safety tips. You can read these tips in our article, "After the Carroll County Bus Accident - Follow These Tips To Prevent School Bus Accidents And Injury".

If your child has been injured and you'd like to discuss your child's accident claim with an Atlanta auto accident attorney, contact the Law Offices of Shane Smith at 770-HURT-999. The initial consultation is always free and we accept injury cases on a contingency basis.