NHTSA updates school transportation fatality data
The federal agency’s latest report shows that, on average, about 33 school-age children die in school transportation-related crashes each year.
From 2004 to 2013, 327 school-age children were killed in school transportation-related crashes, federal data show.
On average, about 33 school-age children die in school transportation-related crashes each year, according to recently released federal data.
About 17% of the children killed in these crashes are occupants of school transportation vehicles. Nearly half (45%) of the fatalities are occupants of other vehicles.
The findings are drawn from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s new edition of School Transportation-Related Crashes, which was published last month.
NHTSA defines a school transportation-related crash as one that involves, either directly or indirectly, a school bus body vehicle or a non-school bus functioning as a school bus, transporting children to or from school or school-related activities.
The new report shows that from 2004 to 2013, 327 school-age children were killed in school transportation-related crashes. Of those, 54 were occupants of school transportation vehicles, 147 were occupants of other vehicles, 116 were pedestrians, nine were pedal-cyclists and one was classified as an “other nonoccupant.”
The report also puts the school transportation-related crash data in the context of overall vehicle crashes: From 2004 to 2013, there were 340,039 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,214 (0.36%) were classified as school transportation-related.
To view the full report from NHTSA, go here.
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