The news that three metro school buses were involved in accidents during one morning’s rush hour highlights the fact that neither Kansas nor Missouri have laws that mandate seat belts on school buses.
The first crash occurred around 7 a.m. near 68th St. and Paseo, and luckily no children were on the bus at the time. The second crash involved a car and a school bus carrying 42 students around 8:15 a.m. at Brooklyn Avenue and Truman Road. At least one adult was injured in that crash.
The third crash involved a driver who hit a First Student school bus at 63rd St. and Swope Parkway and then fled the scene. Police are still looking for the driver.
Seat Belts In School Buses
Thousands of Kansas City area kids get on local buses every day, and very few of these vehicles have any kind of safety restraints. While no students were hurt in these crashes, that’s little comfort to parents who depend on these vehicles to safely transport their children.
Local school districts should explore the cost of outfitting these buses with safety restraints in order to better protect children from accidents, and the Missouri and Kansas legislatures should take up the topic of funding. While the National Transportation Safety Board has found that school buses are extremely safe, proper seat belts will make these buses even safer.
If you or anyone in your family has been injured in a vehicle crash, call us today at 816-842-7100 to speak with an attorney. Or you can click here to email us and schedule your free consultation. We take all injury cases on a contingency basis, which means that we don’t get paid unless we win the case for you.
