A New School Year is Fast Approaching, Talk to Your Kids about School Bus Safety

With a new school year just around the corner, now is a good time to start a conversation with your children about school bus safety. When a school bus comes to a stop and turns on its flashing red stop lights, all drivers must come to a complete stop and wait for all children to enter or exit the bus.

Unfortunately, every year in North Carolina there are accidents that occur because drivers either didn’t see, or chose to ignore, the warning lights of a school bus.

Protecting the safety of our young people is the #1 priority of parents, teachers, school administrators and municipal bus drivers. During the last school year, the state of North Carolina introduced a law that focused on increasing the safety of local school children and preventing tragic pedestrian accidents.

The law, which was implemented statewide starting on January 1^st, 2016, instituted a series of hand signals between school bus drivers and students. These hand signals allow bus drivers to communicate with students and let them know when it is safe to cross the street, when kids should wait for cars to pass, and the direction in which the child should walk.

Before sending your kids back to school, have a conversation about proper pedestrian safety when entering or exiting a school bus. And make sure your kids remember to watch for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street.

Pedestrian Accidents involving students happen far too frequently in North Carolina due to the negligent and dangerous behavior of motorists. Here are some troubling statistics that illustrate just how common this dangerous driver behavior has become:

• Since 1999, thirteen students have been killed by motorists that passed a stopped school bus in North Carolina
• Every day, an estimated 3,000 drivers in North Carolina do not stop for the flashing red lights of a school bus picking up or dropping off students
• Five (5) North Carolina students were injured in pedestrian accidents at a bus stop during the 2015-2016 school year
• Four (4) North Carolina students were killed in pedestrian accidents at a bus stop during the 2012-2013 school year

At Daggett Shuler Law, we care deeply about the safety and wellbeing of young people in the Piedmont Triad. If you drive a car or other passenger vehicle to commute to work in the Triad, please be especially cautious of pedestrians and children during the upcoming school year.

Never pass a school bus that is displaying its flashing red stop lights, and never allow yourself to become distracted by a phone or mobile device while behind the wheel.

Please be considerate and safely share the road with pedestrians of all ages. It could be the difference between life and death.

If you or a loved one suffer serious injuries in a Pedestrian Accident that was not your fault, call Daggett Shuler Law at 336-724-1234. When you call, you will receive a FREE, confidential consultation with one of our experienced North Carolina Personal Injury attorneys.

At Daggett Shuler Law, we will investigate every detail of your situation at no cost to you and fight hard to protect your rights. Trust Daggett Shuler to handle every detail of your case so that you can focus on your physical recovery. You will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we recover for you.

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