Many people in Louisiana and around the country often ride a bus as their means of getting to and from school or work. In some cases, these buses are driven by entities managed by cities or municipal agencies. Other buses are owned and operated by independent companies. School districts also have their own network of buses and bus drivers. All people who hold licenses to operate these vehicles should be aware of how they can keep their passengers safe.
For many years now, laws have been in place requiring motorists to halt and wait when a school bus stops to pick up or drop off a student. The other vehicles are only allowed to resume driving again when the bus driver turns off the blinking red lights and pulls in the bus arm. When this is done, it should mean that the student is either safely on the bus on safely off and away from the bus.
Unfortunately for one pre-teenage boy in North Carolina, his bus driver failed to confirm that he had successfully cleared the bus before beginning to drive the bus again. Reports from Newsweek indicate that the student’s bag, worn on his body, became caught in the bus doors. As the bus moved, the student was dragged along the street.
Somehow the boy managed to walk away with only bruises and cuts, but the experience has left him too afraid to get on a bus again, at least for now. Parents everywhere should take note of this situation and monitor how safe their kids are when riding a school bus.
