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

DOT HS 810 626

School Transportation-Related Crashes

Traffic Safety Facts

2005 Data

“An average of 21 

school-age children die 

in school transportation-related traffic 

crashes each year — 6 

occupants of school 

transportation vehicles 

and 15 pedestrians.”

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 1995 there have been about 416,295 fatal traffic crashes. Of those, 

0.33 percent (1,368) were classified as school transportation-related.

Since 1995, 1,509 people have died in school transportation-related 

crashes — an average of 137 fatalities per year. Most of the people who 

lost their lives in those crashes (70%) were occupants of other vehicles 

involved. Nonoccupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) accounted for 22 

percent of the deaths, and occupants of school transportation vehicles 

accounted for 8 percent.

Since 1995, 170 school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in 

school transportation-related crashes. Nearly two-thirds (65%) were 

killed by school buses, 5 percent by vehicles functioning as school buses, 

and 30 percent by other vehicles involved in the crashes. Nearly one-half 

(49%) of all school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related 

crashes were between the ages of 5 and 7.

Figure 1

Total Occupant and Pedestrian Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes, 

by Age Group, 1995-2005

<5

5-7

Occupants Pedestrians

8-13

14-18

19+

0

Age Group (Years)

20 40 60

Number of Fatalities (11-Year Total)

80 100 120

Note: Occupant fatalities shown are for occupants of school buses and non-school buses 

used as school buses.


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

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 32 percent of the fatalities occurring in crashes between 3 

and 4 p.m.

Table 1

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

1995-2005

Time of Day Occupants* Pedestrians Total

Midnight-6:59 a.m. 8 10 18

7-7:59 a.m. 30 34 64

8-8:59 a.m. 15 14 29

9-9:59 a.m. 3 3 6

10-10:59 a.m. 4 0 4

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

Noon-12:59 p.m. 2 4 6

1-1:59 p.m. 1 7 8

2-2:59 p.m. 16 25 41

3-3:59 p.m. 22 54 76

4-4:59 p.m. 10 11 21

5-11:59 p.m. 8 3 11

11-Year Total 119 170 289

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

Between 1995 and 2005, 97 crashes occurred in which at least one 

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

crashes (55%) involved at least one other vehicle. In the 44 single-vehicle 

crashes, 57 occupants — 14 drivers and 43 passengers — were killed. In 

the 53 multiple-vehicle crashes, 31 drivers and 31 passengers died. In 

the 44 single-vehicle crashes, the first harmful events were as follows: 

striking a fixed object (24 crashes), a person falling from the vehicle (7 

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

train (3 crashes), other non-collision (2 crashes), and collision with a nonfixed object (2 crashes).

In 52 percent of all crashes involving fatalities to occupants of a school 

transportation vehicle, the principal point of impact was the front of the 

vehicle.

Since 1995, 6 drivers and 13 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 deaths of 27 occupants, including 

the driver.

“From 1995 to 2005, 

nearly one-half of the 

school-age pedestrians 

killed in school 

transportation-related 

crashes were between 5 

and 7 years old.”


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

“Impacts to the 

front of the school 

transportation 

vehicle occur in 52 

percent of fatal school 

transportation-related 

crashes.”

Table 2 

Total Occupant Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes by Principal 

Impact Point on School Transportation Vehicle, 1995-2005

Principal Impact 

Point on School 

Transportation 

Vehicle

Type of Crash Total Single-Vehicle Multiple Vehicle

Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities Crashes Fatalities

Front 17 21 33 40 50 61

Right Side 6 8 9 11 15 19

Left Side 4 5 9 9 13 14

Rear 4 10 1 1 5 11

Top 0 0 0 0 0 0

Undercarriage 0 0 1 1 1 1

Non-Collision 12 12 0 0 12 12

Other/Uknown 1 1 0 0 1 1

11-Year Total 44 57 53 62 97 119

Table 3

School-Age Pedestrians Killed in School Transportation-Related Crashes by Vehicle 

Maneuver, 1995-2005

Vehicle Maneuver School Bus 

Body Type 

Vehicle 

Used as 

School Bus

Other Body 

Type Total

Going Straight 47 4 34 85

Slowing or Stopping in 

Traffic Lane 4 0 1 5

Starting in Traffic Lane 31 3 1 35

Passing or Overtaking 

Another Vehicle 0 0 7 7

Leaving a Parked Position 5 0 0 5

Maneuvering to Avoid an 

Animal, Pedestrian, Object, 

Other Vehicle, etc.

0 0 2 2

Turning Right 9 0 0 9

Turning Left 11 0 0 11

Backing Up (Other Than 

for Parking) 0 1 0 1

Negotiating a Curve 1 1 3 5

Entering Parked Position 2 0 0 2

Changing Lanes 0 0 2 2

Other/Unknown 0 0 1 1

11-Year Total 110 9 51 170

For more information:

Information on school transportation-related traffic fatalities is available from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, NPO101, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. NCSA information can also be obtained by telephone or by fax-on-demand 

at 800-934-8517. Fax messages should be sent to 202-366-7078. General information on highway traffic safety can be accessed by 

Internet users at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa. To report a safety-related problem or to inquire about motor vehicle safety 

information, contact the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Other fact sheets available from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis are Overview, Alcohol, Bicyclists and Other Cyclists (formerly titled Pedalcyclists), Children, Large Trucks, Motorcycles, Occupant Protection, Older Population, Pedestrians, Speeding, State Alcohol 

Estimates, State Traffic Data, and Young Drivers. Detailed data on motor vehicle traffic crashes are published annually in Traffic Safety 

Facts: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. The fact 

sheets and annual Traffic Safety Facts report can be accessed online at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa.


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

Table 4

School Transportation-Related Crashes Involving Occupant Fatalities, 1995-2005

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

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

2005 3 3 4 5 0 0 2 2 3 3 6 7

Total 33 46 45 53 11 11 8 9 44 57 53 62

Average 3 4 4 5 1 1 1 1 4 5 5 6

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

Table 5

Fatalities in School Transportation-Related Crashes, 1995-2005

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

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 93 133

2005 5 5 10 27 3 30 7 87 134

Total 45 74 119 227 54 281 47 1,062 1,509

Average 4 7 11 21 5 26 4 97 137

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