How To Stay Safe When Traveling By School Bus
Millions of Florida children travel around the state by school bus. Most commonly to and from school, but kids also take school buses on field trips and other excursions. While bus travel is generally one of the safest forms of transportation, accidents can and do still happen. While there is no way to completely prevent a school bus accident injury in Clearwater, Hudson, or Tampa, there are several things you can do to help keep children safe when they are traveling by bus.
Talking About Safety, Following Rules, and Using Crosswalks
One of the key things you can do to protect children when it comes to bus transportation is to talk to kids about bus safety. For example, educating young kids about the importance of staying seated and wearing a seatbelt if available. And encourage them to speak up if they see something unsafe or concerning on the bus.
Kids should also be familiar with all of the bus rules set by the school district. After all, these rules were created and are kept in place for the safety of riders. A common bus rule is to stay seated and not be a distraction to the bus driver, so the operator can focus on the task of navigating Florida roads.
Additionally, when getting off the bus, it is important to wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before standing up and getting off. Using handrails when getting on or off the bus can help to prevent injuries as well as utilizing crosswalks. When walking to and from the bus stop, crosswalks and sidewalks should always be used. Children need to be told to only cross the street at designated crosswalks and to be aware of the danger zone around the bus.
The bus danger zone is the area around the bus where the driver may have limited visibility. Because of this, everyone, including children, should stay at least ten feet away from the bus when approaching the vehicle or moving away from the bus.
Adjustments to Driver Behaviors
In addition to informing kids of how their own actions can help them to stay safe when traveling by school bus, adjusting your actions as an adult driver is important as well. As a driver, you can be aware of school zones, including navigating areas around school buses, bike riders, and pedestrians with caution and adhering to reduced speed limits.
After an injury involving a school bus, the facts of the case will be reviewed to determine liability. To discuss your unique situation, connect with a Florida personal injury lawyer.
Do you want to talk about what type of insurance claim could be possible after a bus injury? Bus accident injuries can lead to complicated insurance disputes, but there are Florida legal experts who can negotiate with insurance adjusters on your behalf. To learn more, talk to the skilled attorneys at Roman & Roman, a talented legal team of personal injury experts with over 100 years of combined experience. Schedule your no-obligation, free consultation today.
Although the law firm of Roman & Roman has offices in Clearwater, Hudson and Tampa, we handle cases and claims throughout Florida. We also meet personally with our clients if at all possible, rather than impersonally over the phone or on the Internet.