Many school bus accidents happen due to driver distraction. While bus drivers deal with many of the same distractions as passenger vehicle drivers, bus drivers have the added distraction of dealing with dozens of students on board.
Here are just a few distractions a bus driver might face on any given day:
- Students talking to the driver
- Disciplining a student while trying to focus on driving
- Dealing with arguments or even fights among students
- Reaching for a student’s dropped belongings
Of course, the bus driver could be distracted by the same things that distract drivers of passenger vehicles, including mobile phone use, eating, drinking, and adjusting the radio. Some causes of bus accidents are not necessarily the fault of the bus driver, such as poorly maintained buses, road conditions, and third-party drivers.
