Police in Maryland are reminding drivers to “exercise caution, especially when children are involved… while driving anywhere near a school bus.” The warning comes in the wake of the new school year and efforts by state and local law enforcement departments to make this school year a safe one with zero injury accidents and wrongful deaths.
Police will be watching for drivers that are not paying attention when driving close to school bus stops. In Annapolis, drivers stopping in school traffic safety zones during the next five days will get a warning. Afterwards, they will receive citations.
Annapolis will also set up radar-speed display boards in school traffic zones. Police officers will stop any driver caught speeding. Stopping at pedestrian crosswalks will also be enforced, as will the use of seatbelts and child car seats. County officers will patrol school zones in cars during times when school buses are in operation.
Maryland’s Penalties for the Following Violations by Motor Vehicle Drivers:
• Failing to stop for a school vehicle: 3 points to the driver’s license and a $570 fine
• Causing an accident because of failure to stop for a school vehicle: a $610 penalty and three points to the driver’s license.
• Failing to stop for a pedestrian at a crosswalk: $80 fine
• Failing to exercise caution when children are around: $70 fine
Statistics show that from 1991-2001, about 26 children died in school bus accidents. 19 of the 26 fatalities were children that had gotten off or were getting on a bus. Half of the student pedestrians were between the ages of 5 and 7.
There were 1,479 school bus accidents that occurred over this same period. 68% of these accidents involved drivers of other motor vehicles.
Losing a child in a school bus-related accident can be very devastating for the family. It can also be very traumatic for a child to sustain serious injuries in a school bus accident, and the psychological and emotional ramification can be long term.
If your child has been seriously injured or killed in a school bus accident because the bus driver or another driver was negligent, you might have grounds to file a personal injury or a wrongful death claim or lawsuit.
Bus safety high on police radar, Hometownannapolis.com, August 20, 2007
School Bus Accident, Online Lawyer Source
Related Web Resources:
Traffic Safety, NHTSA
Back to School Safety, NSC.org
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen represents the families of children and young adults that have been seriously injured in a school bus accident in Maryland or Washington D.C. You deserve compensation from the liable party for this devastating accident and the harm it has caused your child and your family.
Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen today and ask for your free consultation.