Iowa Bus Accident Raises Questions About Student Safety

Police in Iowa say that a two-vehicle accident left at least six people injured when a truck collided with a Clinton school bus. Authorities say the accident, which happened just after 7 a.m., occurred when the driver of a pickup truck who failed to stop at a stop sign broadsided the oncoming school bus.

Clinton police officers say the bus was traveling north when a westbound pickup ran through an intersection and into the side of the school bus. The accident involved enough force that the bus was flipped over on its side. At the time of the crash the bus was carrying four special education high school students in addition to the driver. School officials say all four children were taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated for their injuries. Police have since cited the driver of the bus of failing to obey a traffic control device.

School bus accidents like this one (and another in Des Moines that we discussed only last week) raise alarming questions about why so many school buses lack even the most basic safety features standard in passenger cars. It’s disturbing to think that while most parents would never dream of letting their young children ride around without seat belts on, the vast majority do so every time they hop on a bus heading to school.

According to statistics compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board, less than 20 percent of the country’s 500,000 school buses come equipped with seat belts. Astoundingly, given the attention devoted to vehicle safety, legislatures in only six states have passed laws requiring installation of seat belts in school buses. The reason for the lack of legislation is that bus manufacturers have actively campaigned against seat belt requirements, claiming that the cost is prohibitive and the belts are unnecessary.

Bus manufacturers argue that seat belts on school buses are unnecessary because of the compartmentalized design of the buses. This means that buses have been designed in such a way as to protect passengers with padded seats in front and behind, shielding them from the force of a front or rear impact accident. Manufacturers go so far as to say that seat belts could actually endanger lives by trapping children in buses.

One major flaw in this argument, which was clearly evident in the recent Iowa bus accident, is that the compartmentalized design does nothing to cushion the blow of side impact or rollover accidents. This is a serious problem given that federal safety statistics show that nearly 75 percent of all deadly bus accidents were attributed to rollover collisions when passengers were ejected from the bus, exactly the kind of thing that seat belts are designed to prevent.

Source: “Bus Accident In Clinton, Iowa,” by Jeff Whitten, published at KWQC.com.

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Police have announced that the school bus driver who hit and killed a Des Moines motorcyclist while transporting a bus load of children to school late last month has been issued a citation in connection with the accident.

Authorities say the accident occurred just before 7 a.m. at the intersection of East 29^th Street and East Douglas Avenue. The school bus driven by Marylin Pottorff was heading west on East Douglas Avenue while the motorcycle was heading south on East 29^th. Police say that the school bus had a stop sign at the intersection while the motorcyclist did not. As a result, the motorcycle rider, 34-year-old Nicholas Neal, continued on through the intersection where he was struck by the oncoming bus.

The bus had 20 students on board at the time who were heading to North High School. Thankfully none of the students were physically injured in the crash, though counselors have been called in to speak to students who witnessed the tragic motorcycle accident.

Law enforcement officials say that Pottorff has been placed on administrative leave and was issued a citation for failing to yield. An investigation revealed that Pottorff failed to stop at the stop sign and drove directly into Neal’s path. Neal was unable to stop in time and was ejected from his motorcycle, ultimately dying at the scene of the crash. Iowa safety officials say the accident represents the third such motorcycle fatality in Des Moines in the past 30 days, an alarmingly high number that should serve as a reminder to those driving passenger vehicles to watch out for their fellow motorcyclists.

Though many people understand that motorcycle riding can be dangerous, few realize just how vulnerable bikers actually are. According to data gathered by the National Transportation Safety Board, if a motorcycle rider is involved in an accident, the chance that he or she will suffer an injury is unbelievably high: 98 percent for those involved in multiple vehicle crashes.

One reason for such a high risk of serious injury is that motorcyclists face the ever-present danger of being thrown from their bike. While it is true that occupants of passenger vehicles can also be ejected, the risk is dramatically lower given the effectiveness of seat belts in ensuring that passengers remain inside the car or truck. Motorcycles obviously lack such restraints and, as a result, riders can find themselves easily thrown from their bikes into oncoming traffic or onto hard pavement, something that dramatically increases the severity of any injuries.

Given the clear vulnerability of motorcyclists, it is essential that other Iowa motorists remain alert while behind the wheel. In this tragic case out of Des Moines it appears clear that inattention led to a deadly accident for Nicholas Neal and tragedy for his family. Other drivers should take this tragedy as a reminder of how important it is to direct all your attention on the road in front of you. Doing so might save someone’s life.  Look twice for bikes and you will save a life.

Source: “Police cite Des Moines bus driver in fatal crash,” by Regina Zilbermints, published at Press-Citizen.com.

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