Defective equipment can be a cause of school bus crashes. The Total Injury website cites the example of the absence of seat belts. As of 2011, most buses are not equipped with this safety feature. As for those that do have seat belts, the buckles may not work well. In addition, certain restraints for disabled children may be in place, as is the law according to the Americans With Disabilities Act, but may be in poor working order. One reason the website gives is that in hard economic times, school districts often find themselves with tight budgets because the state can no longer afford to support them.
Driver negligence can lead to mishaps on a school bus. Although the bus driver is responsible for the safe transfer of children from home to school and back home at the end of the day, she is also the classroom manager on the bus. She must manage children's behavior and at the same time keep her mind, plus her eyes, on the road ahead and behind her. All it takes is a day when almost all children are talking loudly and misbehaving for the driver to become distracted and run right into a car.
School bus accidents can also occur due to the carelessness of those outside the school bus. According to the Expert Law website, a crash can occur when a driver ignores the lights on a school bus telling him to stop. Also, a pedestrian not paying attention can cause a bus driver to hit him.
Another reason for school bus accidents happens when districts overload school buses. This can happen as school districts, due to budget cuts, cannot afford to buy extra buses to accommodate a growing student population. According to the Arrive Alive website, overloading a vehicle past its capacity can compromise the steering and braking functions. It does not leave the driver enough room to turn when he needs to do so. Also, it wears down the braking system, due to the system's having to work harder to stop the bus. The result is tragic, especially at a busy intersection.