A school transportation-related crash is a crash which 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. Since 2001 there were 363,839 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those, 1,236 (0.34%) were classified as school transportation-related. Since 2001, 1,368 people have died in school transportation-related crashes–an average of 137 fatalities per year. Occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for 7 percent of the fatalities, and non-occupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 21 percent of the fatalities. Most (72%) of the people who lost their lives in these crashes were occupants of other vehicles involved. Since 2001, 123 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes. Over two-thirds (69%) were struck by school buses, 5 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, and 26 percent by other vehicles involved in the crashes. There were 49 (40%) school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes between the ages of 5 and 7. (Author/publisher)
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