Video of students nearly hit by car getting on bus goes viral

A video of students nearly hit by an SUV while getting on the school bus in Washington State went viral this week. Maybe you’ve seen it on the national news, social media or YouTube.

Near-misses happen all over the country but now that we live in a society with the instant ability to share across the globe, we see more of these. It’s a scary scene watching the video. You can almost feel just how close the SUV was to the kids.

The YouTube video already has more than half a million hits. If you haven’t seen the video, you can watch it here:

https://youtu.be/270jPF7bJto

It happened so fast, witnesses didn’t get much information and the driver hasn’t been caught — yet. With social media, videos and media reports, it’s likely someone will recognize the vehicle.

According to reports, this vehicle went around several other vehicles and sped by the school bus. The SUV drove between the open school bus door and the kids getting ready to step on the bus. In this case, those children are very lucky.

It’s a good reminder of school bus safety as we head to the end of the school year. Here are some safety tips for students and parents:

AT THE BUS STOP

• Always walk to the bus stop. Never run.
• Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left facing traffic.
• Always go to the bus stop about five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• While at the bus stop, wait in a safe place away from the road. Do not run and play while waiting.
• Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger. Always go straight home and tell you parents if a stranger tries to talk to you or pick you up.
• Wait for the bus to arrive, watch for red flashing lights and the stop sign to be extended, and cross only when all traffic has stopped. Look left, right, and left again before crossing.

For more safety tips, visit aboutschool.com.

Drivers need to be cautious around school busses and follow all the laws. You must stop behind a stopped school bus, you can’t pass it. Drivers need to slow down and watch for children around school busses. For more safe driving tips, visit the National Safety Council.

At Bernardo Injury Law, we care about the safety of children on and around the school bus. Following a few safety tips can save lives. For more information about traffic safety, follow our blog. You can also visit us online at injuryinfo.org, call (239) 332-3000 or toll free at (888) 428-8943, or email us at gethelp@injuryinfo.org.