Black ice bus accidents pose a threat to your child’s safety.
Snow, ice, and cold seem like they’ll be making recurring cameos in the Carolinas this winter season. For parents, this can mean comedic attempts to bundle up your little ones or shovel your slippery driveway. But there’s nothing funny about a bus accident caused by black ice – especially a school bus. Most school buses don’t even have seat belts. Here’s some information on the dangers of black ice and who may be at fault when it causes a school bus wreck.
What Is Black Ice?
Black ice is ice that you can’t spot from a distance. When you spot an icy patch from afar, you can carefully maneuver around or over it. But what happens if you only become aware of ice as your car starts sliding on it? That’s black ice, and it can be incredibly dangerous for buses, their passengers, and other vehicles on the road.
How Black Ice Causes Accidents
Black ice is a winter road hazard for buses of all types, including school buses. While classes may go remote the day of any snowfall, icy traps can persist for days or weeks as temperatures rise above and then dip below the freezing point. School bus safety on potentially icy roads is a concern for parents once classes resume. In addition, not all students even have the option of remote learning during inclement weather and must brave the elements to get to class.
Bus driver negligence in winter conditions is magnified. A bus driver should never, ever be texting while driving. Imagine what can happen if a bus driver is texting when they hit a patch of black ice? Black ice is dangerous enough, but it can be a catastrophe when combined with bus driver negligence.
How Do I Know My Child Is Safe After I Drop Them Off at the Bus Stop?
In any season and in any weather, you need to be able to count on your child’s school bus driver to deliver your child to and from school safely. Schools are subject to laws designed to protect children from unsafe circumstances and people. As a parent, it is your right to ask for answers that will help you feel confident that your child is safe: Did the school bus company do its due diligence in hiring drivers with the necessary skill to handle winter driving, as infrequent as it may be in North and South Carolina?
Companies should want to keep our children safe without any incentive, but as an added layer of protection, businesses know they face serious liability if they put children in harm’s way.
Who Is Liable for a Bus Accident Caused by Black Ice?
Can a bus company be held responsible for winter crashes? Sometimes, severe weather leads to injuries, and it’s nobody’s fault. But far too often, people act carelessly and can be held accountable for their negligence by personal injury lawyers.
For example, a reasonable person might be expected to use greater than normal caution while driving a school bus during icy conditions. If your child’s school bus driver failed to act reasonably given the circumstances — did they drive the same speed they would drive on a sunny day? — they, and the company that hired them, can potentially be liable.
As you prepare for the winter weather, remember that not all cold weather dangers may be immediate or visible. All of us may have to approach the roads in the coming weeks differently than usual, including and especially school bus drivers. And if your child’s bus driver fails to do that and causes an accident, due to careless behavior on or off black ice, call us at 1-866-900-7078 to discuss your options. We are here to help.
