School Bus Accident In Kings School District Raises Questions

A school bus accident between two buses in the Kings School District in Ohio raises questions on school safety. The Dayton Daily News reports that one school bus rear ended another school bus when the bus accident occurred on Nov. 24.

There were four buses with middle school children who were on their way to an orientation at the Waren County Career Center. The bus accident in Warren County sent 17 students to three different hospitals in the area. The students complained of neck and shoulder pain due to the whiplash.

The accident raises some questions on school safety.

Ohio state law requires that both of the bus drivers involved in the accident must undergo drug testing. The buses will also be removed from the bus fleet in order to undergo safety inspections.

The safety inspections may indicate buses that need to be recalled.  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses remain one of the safest forms or transportation in the United States. The NHTSA started a "School Bus Safety Assurance Program" in May of 1995. It is an ongoing program to inform State Transportation Inspection Program Directors, State Pupil Transportation Directors, interested association groups, school district personnel, nonpublic school bus owners, parents, and members of the general public of the current safety recalls involving school buses. You can view the current list of recalls here.  

The buses involved in this accident are Petermann buses. Petermann buses reportedly undergo preventative maintenance on a regular basis and are inspected annually by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The accident also serves as a reminder to all drivers to be more vigilant when operating vehicles around school buses.

For more information, please visit our Related Resources links.

Related Resources:

• NHTSA ANNOUNCES SAFETY RECALLS COVERING 11,500 SCHOOL BUSES  (Findlaw)
• Safe Riding on the School Bus: Tips for Parents (Findlaw)
• For Drivers, School Season Must be Greeted with Caution  (Findlaw)
• Bus/Train Accidents (provided by Harris, Powers & Cunningham, P.L.L.C.)
• Personal Injury & Wrongful Death FAQ (provided by Corsiglia McMahon & Allard, L.L.P.)