Most school bus accidents result in minimal injury to children and other passengers. According to School Transportation News, only one percent of school buses encounter an accident per 100 million miles driven. This number is less than the four percent incurred by trains and the six percent suffered by air transportation and substantially lower than standard automobiles. Almost all injuries experienced by children result in nothing more than brush burns, scrapes and bruises.
Increasing safety measures for school buses require raising the costs associated with transportation. For example, flashing yellow and red safety lights are often installed in neighborhoods and crossing guards are hired to direct traffic at the beginning and end of school days. In total, school boards and local governments around the nation spend approximately $520 a year, per student, on bus transportation safety measures. Consequently, over $2,000 per student is expended on an annual basis for special needs transportation safety.
Most injuries may be minimal, but thousands of students are injured every year as a result of school bus accidents. An average of 10,000 children throughout the United States suffers at least minor damage. An average of 400 children suffers serious injuries, including fractured bones or substantial loss of blood. Additionally, although school buses are deemed safer than standard cars or trucks, at least a half dozen children meet their death every year due to school bus accidents.
As a consequence of transportation accidents, some states mandate the use of seatbelts on school buses. According to WebMD, states like New York, New Jersey and Florida demand all school buses fitted with "three-point restraints" -- seatbelts that loop over a child's should and waist. All school buses also incorporate extended vertical seatbacks and extra-cushioned bench seats as a means of "compartmentalization." Compartmentalization is the concept of securing a child within a confined area -- as these measures promote -- in the event of an accident.