November 6, 2006 -- School Bus Injuries Underestimated, Researchers Say

The number of children injured each year in school bus-related accidents of all kinds is underestimated in most current reports, according to researchers who looked at the treatment of children in hospital emergency rooms following school bus incidents, including falls or motor vehicle crashes. Most accidents of all kinds—whether while riding in the bus or entering or leaving the vehicle—happen to children 10 to 14 years of age, probably because they are the age group most likely to be riding the school bus. The current safety device used in most school buses relies on high seat backs and seats placed close together to keep children in place during an accident. Researchers found, however, that the youngest children—under age 10-- are prone to head injuries in vehicle impact or rollover in such buses, probably because young children tend to topple head first during a fall because of their high center of gravity. The researchers noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics and others have urged that school buses be equipped with seat belts for all children, instead of relying on “compartmentalization” to protect young riders. The article, “School Bus-Related Injuries Among Children and Teenagers in the United States, 2001-2003,” is published in the November 2006 issue of the journal Pediatrics.