When parents put their children on the school bus in the morning, they expect them to arrive safely to their destination. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in metro Atlanta. Instead, school bus safety remains a major issue throughout the area.
According to the Georgia Department of Education, metro Atlanta school buses are involved in approximately two accidents per day, totaling more than 700 this year.
Although those numbers are scary, consider this: It may be even worse, as state officials note that some districts don’t always comply in regards to reporting numbers.
Both school distract and state officials have agreed that missing data makes it difficult for decision makers to pinpoint accident trends, provide better training and of course, remove bad drivers from the road.
The president of the Georgia Association for Pupil Transportation added the following: “It’s very important (for districts to provide accurate crash data), so we can learn from our mistakes and learn where most of our crashes are coming from and what’s causing crashes.”
Through November 2016, more than 300 students and drivers were injured in school bus crashes throughout the state. While most of the injuries were minor, there are times when students suffer a serious injury or death.
When a school bus accident happens, parents are often put in a difficult position. Not only do they need to consider the future, but parents of injured children will want to look into their legal rights. In many cases in Georgia, school bus accidents have led to wrongful death lawsuits filed by parents of the victims.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “2 metro Atlanta school buses crash daily, student safety at stake,” Marlon A. Walker and Eric Stirgus, Dec. 16, 2016
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