TOPEKA, Kan. — The number of children killed in school bus loading and unloading accidents in the U.S. dropped to a historic low in the 2006-07 school year.

There were seven danger zone fatalities in 2006-07 — about half the total in 2005-06, which was 13. In 2004-05, there were 20.

The fatality statistics are collected annually by the Kansas State Department of Education’s School Bus Safety Education Unit.

The 2006-07 report showed that four children were killed by vehicles passing their school bus as they tried to board or depart. The other three children were killed by the wheels of their own bus.

Throughout the report’s 37-year history, there have been 1,151 danger zone deaths — an average of 31 per year.

The report says that it aims to show “the continuing need for forceful, advanced instruction to school bus drivers and students, as well as the need to increase our efforts to thoroughly inform the driving public about the requirements of the school bus stop law.”