The week of October 17-21 celebrates National School Bus Safety Week, meaning that school districts across the nation are promoting and pushing new measures intended to increase student safety. The theme this year emphasizes keeping children safe outside of the school bus, especially before boarding and after exiting. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that an average of 24 school-age children die in school transportation-related incidents each year, meaning that some strides can still be taken to improve the safety of bus-riding children.
Utah’s Strides
Utah, which has more than 178,000 children ride to and from school on over 2,400 school buses, is launching a multi-faceted program to reach students, drivers, parents, motorists and the funding decision makers. By emphasizing the importance of bus safety to each of the parties mentioned above, officials hope to improve overall bus safety and awareness. The event kicked off today when State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry K. Shumway rode with elementary-age children to Indian Hills Elementary School in Salt Lake City.
Though increased safety measures surrounding the entering and exiting of children from a school bus are important, accidents can also occur during a bus ride. Just last month, a man was killed after he ran a red light in his vehicle and struck the back of a school bus. Though the speeding driver was responsible for the accident and there were no children on board the bus at the time of the accident, this type of incident shows that buses are not impervious to accidents, making the safety within the bus, such as children wearing seatbelts, just as important.
Understanding you
As fathers of bus-riding children themselves, the attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm understand the importance of the life of each child. They not only understand how the law can serve and protect you, but also how you would react as a parent in the event a child is injured as a result of a lack of bus safety. Call us at (801) 506-0800 to receive a free consultation today.
About Russ Hymas
D. Russell Hymas is the managing partner and an attorney at Christensen & Hymas. Mr. Hymas devotes his practice to representing seriously injured persons involved in automobile accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents and premise liability claims. An experienced negotiator and litigator, Mr. Hymas has assisted clients in obtaining millions of dollars in settlements, arbitration awards and judgments. Prior to joining Christensen & Hymas, Mr. Hymas worked for an international law firm in San Diego, California, where he worked on complex litigation and transactional matters. Among his successes, Mr. Hymas recently litigated a case in which the court awarded more than $5,000,000 in damages for his client.
