Parents have the right to expect that the school buses that transport their children be extremely safe vehicles. School buses are designed to minimize the possibility of injury to children in the event of an accident. Bus designers use compartmentalization in designing school buses, so child passengers are seated in a padded environment. Despite the relative safety of school buses, children can still be injured in school bus accidents.

Despite the best efforts of bus designers to prevent school bus injuries, there is no substitute for safe and responsible driving. A recent Cincinnati traffic accident in which a school bus rear-ended a car resulted in one child being injured. The child, who received a minor injury, was brought to a local hospital for treatment. Two other children were also sent to the hospital, where they were checked and released.

The accident occurred last Wednesday on a ramp connecting Hopple Street and Interstate 75 with Interstate 74. The driver of the bus allegedly ran into the vehicle in front of him.

The 47-year-old bus driver received a citation for failure to maintain a clear distance, according to a Cincinnati police officer who works with the local traffic unit.

According to the officer, the driver made a statement saying that he was attempting to watch some of the children behind him as they were misbehaving and yelling. In the process of doing so, the driver accidentally ran the bus into the car in front of it.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer, "School bus rear-ends car," Carrie Whitaker, 4/13/2011