National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Analyzes School Bus Accidents

When you or a family member are involved in a school bus accident, it is important to find the best personal injury lawyer to pursue your claim. The attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter in Reading, PA handle bus accident cases.

According to “Traffic Safety Facts” available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) (2008), since 1998, there have been about 414,399 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,409 were classified as school transportation-related. Since 1998, 1,564 people have died in school-transportation-related crashes—an average of 142 fatalities per year. Most of the people who lost their lives in those crashes (72%) were occupants of other vehicles involved. Non-occupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 20 percent of the deaths, and occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 8 percent.

Since 1998, 149 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes. Over two-thirds (69%) were killed by school buses, 7 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 24 percent by other vehicles involved in the crashes. About one-half (47%) of all school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between the ages of 5 and 7.

The attorneys at Liever, Hyman & Potter have successfully handled many accident cases in the Reading and Pottsville areas.