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SEARCHThe state of Kansas' annual survey reports on details of school bus passengers killed while getting on or off their bus. Fatalities doubled this year.
Fatalities were recorded in New York, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
Photo: Kansas Department of Education/SBF Canva
Six schoolchildren died as a result of getting on or off the bus during the most recent school year, according to data compiled by the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE).
This year, data represents five states with fatalities (New York, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Texas); 44 states with none; and two states that did not participate (Rhode Island and New Jersey).
New York: An 8-year-old boy ran in front of the bus and was struck by the right front wheel of the bus in the loading zone at school. Separately, a 5-year-old girl crossed in front of her bus while unloading; the driver didn't see her and moved forward, knocking her down and killing her with the left rear dual wheels.
Georgia: An 8-year-old girl was killed while crossing the street to board her bus. The bus was stopped with its stop-arm out and lights on, but another oncoming vehicle did not stop, striking the student.
Florida: A 9-year-old boy dropped a football while unloading. When he crawled under the bus to get it, he was killed by the dual wheels of the bus.
Alabama: As a 15-year-old girl was walking to the bus from her yard, an approaching vehicle swerved, passing other stopped vehicles, and crossed back onto the roadway in front of the bus. The vehicle struck the girl who was still in her yard, and proceeded to collide with the student's house as well.
Texas: A 15-year-old boy unloaded the bus, which had its lights on and stop-arm out. A semi hit another vehicle stopped behind the bus, swerving to the right, and striking the student.
Of all the fatalities from the survey this year, 50% were attributed to other vehicles and 50% were to school buses.
Four of the incidents happened during the trip home and two were on the trip to school.
Half were while unloading at a bus stop.
Three of the incidents happened on a Thursday. One was on a Monday, one on a Tuesday, and the other on a Friday.
Two happened in the month of January, two in February, one in October, and one in December.
Half happened in the daylight.
Five happened on days with clear weather. All days had dry road conditions.
Half were in urban areas; the other, rural.
Keith Dreiling, state director for the Kansas State Department of Education's School Transportation Unit, presented the survey results at the 2024 NASDPTS conference.
The National School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey collects fatal accident reports from state agencies. KSDE along with the help of NASDPTS, asks that all states and Washington, D.C. provide data to KSDE annually. Only fatalities involving school children in or around the loading or unloading areas of a school bus are included. These surveys give an account of students who ride the school bus and are killed by either by their own school bus or a passing motorist while loading or unloading.
The state has been compiling this report for 54 years. Since it began, it has tracked 1,273 student fatalities.
Last year, three children died from loading/unloading injuries.
Find more data on Kansas' website.
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