NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590

Table 4

School Transportation-Related Crashes Involving Occupant Fatalities, 1994-2004

Year

School Bus Body Type Vehicle Used as School Bus Total

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities

1994 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 0 3 4

1995 2 8 3 4 1 1 0 0 3 9 3 4

1996 5 5 3 3 2 2 0 0 7 7 3 3

1997 0 0 5 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 9

1998 1 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 4

1999 2 2 6 6 0 0 2 2 2 2 8 8

2000 7 9 6 7 2 2 2 3 9 11 8 10

2001 5 9 6 8 1 1 0 0 6 10 6 8

2002 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1

2003 5 5 2 2 3 3 1 1 8 8 3 3

2004 2 2 5 5 0 0 0 0 2 2 5 5

Total 30 43 41 48 11 11 9 11 41 54 50 59

Average 3 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 4 5 5 5

Note: Does not include occupants of other vehicles in school transportation-related crashes.

Table 5

Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes, 1994-2004

Year

Occupants of 

School Transportation Vehicle* Pedestrians

Other 

Nonoccupants

Occupants 

of Other 

Vehicles

Total

Driver Passenger Total

Struck by 

School 

Vehicle*

Struck by 

Other Vehicle Total

1994 2 2 4 28 9 37 2 64 107

1995 0 13 13 24 10 34 4 72 123

1996 2 8 10 16 7 23 2 101 136

1997 5 5 10 17 2 19 5 97 131

1998 3 3 6 21 3 24 7 91 128

1999 6 4 10 20 6 26 4 127 167

2000 8 13 21 19 7 26 1 99 147

2001 6 12 18 18 4 22 6 95 141

2002 1 2 3 16 4 20 6 100 129

2003 6 5 11 22 5 27 2 100 140

2004 3 4 7 27 3 30 3 90 130

Total 42 71 113 228 60 288 42 1,036 1,479

Average 4 6 10 21 5 26 4 94 134

4

*Includes school bus body type and non-school bus used as school bus.
On average, 11 school-age pedestrians are killed by school transportation 

vehicles (school buses and non-school bus vehicles used as school buses) 

each year, and 5 are killed by other vehicles involved in school busrelated crashes.

More school-age pedestrians are killed in the afternoon than in the 

morning, with 36 percent of the fatalities occurring in crashes between 

3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Table 1

Total Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes by Time of Day, 

1994-2004

Time of Day Occupant

Fatalities*

Pedestrians 

(School Age)

Total 

Fatalities

midnight-6:59 a.m. 7 9 16

7-7:59 a.m. 29 27 56

8-8:59 a.m. 13 15 28

9-9:59 a.m. 3 5 8

10-10:59 a.m. 2 0 2

11-11:59 a.m. 0 5 5

noon-12:59 p.m. 3 4 7

1-1:59 p.m. 1 6 7

2-2:59 p.m. 15 27 42

3-3:59 p.m. 23 66 89

4-4:59 p.m. 9 14 23

5-11:59 p.m. 8 4 12

11-Year Total 113 182 295

*Does not include occupants of other vehicles in school transportation-related crashes.

Between 1994 and 2004, 91 crashes occurred in which at least one 

occupant of a school transportation vehicle died. More than half of those 

crashes (55%) involved another vehicle. In the 41 single-vehicle crashes, 

54 occupants — 12 drivers and 42 passengers — were killed. In the 50 

multiple-vehicle crashes, 30 drivers and 29 passengers died. In the 41 

single-vehicle crashes, the first harmful events were as follows: striking 

a fixed object (22 crashes), a person falling from the vehicle (7 crashes), 

the vehicle overturning (4 crashes), the vehicle colliding with a train (3 

crashes), other noncollision (2 crashes), and collision with object not fixed 

(1 crash).

In 46 percent of all crashes involving fatalities among occupants of 

school transportation vehicles, the principal point of impact was the 

front of the vehicle.

Since 1994, 6 drivers and 15 passengers have died in school-bus-body 

vehicles providing transportation for purposes other than school or 

school-related activities (churches, civic organizations, etc.). In 1987, one 

such multi-vehicle crash resulted in the death of 27 occupants, including 

the driver.

NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590 

“From 1994 to 2004, 

nearly half of school-age 

pedestrians killed 

in school transportationrelated crashes were 

between 5 and 7 years 

old.”

 
On average, 11 school-age pedestrians are killed by school transportation 

vehicles (school buses and non-school bus vehicles used as school buses) 

each year, and 5 are killed by other vehicles involved in school busrelated crashes.

More school-age pedestrians are killed in the afternoon than in the 

morning, with 36 percent of the fatalities occurring in crashes between 

3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Table 1

Total Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes by Time of Day, 

1994-2004

Time of Day Occupant

Fatalities*

Pedestrians 

(School Age)

Total 

Fatalities

midnight-6:59 a.m. 7 9 16

7-7:59 a.m. 29 27 56

8-8:59 a.m. 13 15 28

9-9:59 a.m. 3 5 8

10-10:59 a.m. 2 0 2

11-11:59 a.m. 0 5 5

noon-12:59 p.m. 3 4 7

1-1:59 p.m. 1 6 7

2-2:59 p.m. 15 27 42

3-3:59 p.m. 23 66 89

4-4:59 p.m. 9 14 23

5-11:59 p.m. 8 4 12

11-Year Total 113 182 295

*Does not include occupants of other vehicles in school transportation-related crashes.

Between 1994 and 2004, 91 crashes occurred in which at least one 

occupant of a school transportation vehicle died. More than half of those 

crashes (55%) involved another vehicle. In the 41 single-vehicle crashes, 

54 occupants — 12 drivers and 42 passengers — were killed. In the 50 

multiple-vehicle crashes, 30 drivers and 29 passengers died. In the 41 

single-vehicle crashes, the first harmful events were as follows: striking 

a fixed object (22 crashes), a person falling from the vehicle (7 crashes), 

the vehicle overturning (4 crashes), the vehicle colliding with a train (3 

crashes), other noncollision (2 crashes), and collision with object not fixed 

(1 crash).

In 46 percent of all crashes involving fatalities among occupants of 

school transportation vehicles, the principal point of impact was the 

front of the vehicle.

Since 1994, 6 drivers and 15 passengers have died in school-bus-body 

vehicles providing transportation for purposes other than school or 

school-related activities (churches, civic organizations, etc.). In 1987, one 

such multi-vehicle crash resulted in the death of 27 occupants, including 

the driver.

NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590 

“From 1994 to 2004, 

nearly half of school-age 

pedestrians killed 

in school transportationrelated crashes were 

between 5 and 7 years 

old.”

 
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590

Table 4

School Transportation-Related Crashes Involving Occupant Fatalities, 1994-2004

Year

School Bus Body Type Vehicle Used as School Bus Total

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Single-Vehicle 

Crash

Multiple Vehicle 

Crash

Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities

1994 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 0 3 4

1995 2 8 3 4 1 1 0 0 3 9 3 4

1996 5 5 3 3 2 2 0 0 7 7 3 3

1997 0 0 5 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 9

1998 1 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 4

1999 2 2 6 6 0 0 2 2 2 2 8 8

2000 7 9 6 7 2 2 2 3 9 11 8 10

2001 5 9 6 8 1 1 0 0 6 10 6 8

2002 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1

2003 5 5 2 2 3 3 1 1 8 8 3 3

2004 2 2 5 5 0 0 0 0 2 2 5 5

Total 30 43 41 48 11 11 9 11 41 54 50 59

Average 3 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 4 5 5 5

Note: Does not include occupants of other vehicles in school transportation-related crashes.

Table 5

Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes, 1994-2004

Year

Occupants of 

School Transportation Vehicle* Pedestrians

Other 

Nonoccupants

Occupants 

of Other 

Vehicles

Total

Driver Passenger Total

Struck by 

School 

Vehicle*

Struck by 

Other Vehicle Total

1994 2 2 4 28 9 37 2 64 107

1995 0 13 13 24 10 34 4 72 123

1996 2 8 10 16 7 23 2 101 136

1997 5 5 10 17 2 19 5 97 131

1998 3 3 6 21 3 24 7 91 128

1999 6 4 10 20 6 26 4 127 167

2000 8 13 21 19 7 26 1 99 147

2001 6 12 18 18 4 22 6 95 141

2002 1 2 3 16 4 20 6 100 129

2003 6 5 11 22 5 27 2 100 140

2004 3 4 7 27 3 30 3 90 130

Total 42 71 113 228 60 288 42 1,036 1,479

Average 4 6 10 21 5 26 4 94 134

4

*Includes school bus body type and non-school bus used as school bus.