Key Information for Reporters Covering School Bus-related News Stories 

Yellow school buses are a great American success story, with a safety record that is unequalled in the transportation industry. Consider these comparisons per 100,000,000 passenger miles: 

Yet crashes involving school buses always make news. Fortunately, almost all school bus crashes are minor, and if there are injuries, typically it’s to the occupants of the other vehicles.

This fact sheet is intended to help you “get up to speed” quickly if there is a crash or other school bus issue in your community. All information can be used without restriction and should be attributed to The School Bus Information Council, unless otherwise noted. 

When reporting about school bus incidents, please consider the circumstances carefully. For example, was the bus at fault, or was it struck by another vehicle? Was a child struck getting on or off the bus because a motorist failed to obey the law and stop for the bus? Were serious injuries avoided because the bus structure provided excellent overall crash protection even under severe circumstances?

Additionally, local school boards often debate issues such as funding for pupil transportation, whether school buses should have safety belts, and bus driver training requirements. This fact sheet provides useful background information for those stories, and phone numbers for expert sources who can help you. We welcome your call!