 An estimated 25 million students ride school buses daily. Bus-related injuries may happen as children board and exit the bus due to the driver's blind spot, which extends about 10 feet around the bus. Children may not be aware of this blind spot and may mistakenly believe that if they can see the bus, the bus driver can see them.  According to Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts: | |
 There were 663 traffic crashes involving at least one school bus in Minnesota in 2008. | |
| In 2008, there was one fatal school bus crash resulting in four deaths. All four of the fatalities, children ages 10 through 14, were riding in a school bus when it was struck by another vehicle. | |
| Although there were 663 school bus crashes in 2008, a few involved more than one school bus. In all there were 671 school buses in crashes. For 46% of the school bus drivers, officer reports showed there was “no clear contributing factor.” The two contributing factors cited most often were driver inattention or distraction (22%), and failure to yield right of way (16%). The third most frequently cited contributing factor was improper turn (10%). The most commonly cited contributing factors attributed to drivers of other vehicles in school bus crashes were driver inattention and distraction (23%), failure to yield right of way (13%), and following too closely (8%). | |
| Sixty-four percent of school bus crashes occurred during the hours of 6:00 - 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. | |
| Only three percent of the crashes occurred when the school bus stop arm was deployed. Five injuries occurred in crashes where the school bus stop arm was in use. | |
| The Minnesota Safety Council and Safe Kids Minnesota offer these guidelines to help parents and children stay safe: A child's behavior at the bus stop is an important aspect of school bus safety. While waiting for the bus, kids should stay out of the street. If walking in front of the bus, children should make eye contact with the driver and take five giant steps (10 ft.) in front of the bus before crossing. While on the bus, children should observe the following safety rules: | |
| Remain seated at all times and keep the aisles clear. | |
| Don't throw objects. Don't shout or distract the driver unnecessarily. | |
| Keep your head and arms inside the bus at all times. | |
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Acknowledgments: | |
| Safe Kids Worldwide | |
| Minnesota Department of Public Safety | |
| Office of Traffic Safety's | |
| Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts |