A national survey of school bus loading and unloading operations for the 2009-2010 school year suggests that increased driver training may be necessary to halt a rising trend of front-end collisions with students on their way to or from the bus stop.

The 13 total fatalities were an improvement from 17 recorded for the 2008-2009 school year but more than the 12 total fatalities recorded during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 school years, combined.

The Kansas State Department of Education's School Bus Safety Unit compiled and released the final report for the 40th consecutive year after surveying all 50 states last fall. One discrepancy was immediately noted during a review by STN of the final report regarding the position of the school bus where the children were struck.

At five, Georgia accounted for more than a third of the 13 student fatalities recorded. Six of the 13 total fatalities occurred at the front of the school bus compared to only one fatality at the rear of the bus. However, one of those, in Minnesota, occurred after a 7-year-old boy was struck by the front bumper of the school bus and then was run over by the rear dual wheels. Alabama accounted for the other fatality at the rear wheels after a 9-year-old girl was walking along the right side of the school bus after unloading, lost her balance, and fell as the bus started in motion.

Two of the Georgia fatalities occurred at the right-front tire and a third fatality occurred at the left-front tire. The other two Georgia fatalities occurred at the hands of a motorist who illegally passed a stopped school bus. In one of those cases, an elderly driver stated he did not see the school bus or two children crossing the roadway to the bus because of heavy fog. One of the students, a 7-year-old boy, died.

Ohio had the second most recorded fatalities at two, one the result of an illegal passer. The other student death in the state occurred as a 15-year-old girl was crossing the street to her school bus stop and walked in front of a moving bus. The school bus driver was in the process of turning left and failed to see the girl.

Kansas (right-front tire of the school bus), Mississippi (illegal passer), North Carolina (illegal passer) and Pennsylvania (right-front wheel of the school bus) each accounted for one loading or unloading fatality.

Seven of the fatalities caused by school buses involved Type C conventionals, and the eighth death involved a Type D transit-style school bus. Six of the total 13 student deaths occurred during the morning run, with three occurring while the child waited at the school bus stop and another three occurring when walking or running to the bus stop. Six of the other seven fatalities that occurred in the afternoon took place while unloading the school bus. One fatality occurred while walking away from the stop.

Meanwhile, nine fatalities occurred during daylight hours, three occurred at dawn and one student death occurred after dark. Three of the fatalities occurred during cloudy, rainy or foggy weather, and 10 fatalities occurred when the weather conditions were noted as "clear." Only one fatality was reported as occurring when the roadway was wet.

As for the day the fatalities occurred, Wednesdays saw five deaths followed by Monday at three, Tuesday and Thursday at two apiece and Friday at one. March had the the most fatalities at three, followed by May, September, and December with two each. January, February, June and August saw one fatality each.

Since the Kansas survey began, 788 student fatalities have been recorded for students ages 2 through 9. This grouping represents two-thirds of the total 1,186 fatalities. School buses have accounted for 57 percent of those total deaths while the illegal passing of other motorists have accounted for 39 percent of the fatalities. The report states there was no information provided to account for the remaining 4 percent.

The survey is based upon fatality accident records provided by each state and only involve incidents when a child is killed in or around the school bus or transit bus during or immediately before or after loading or unloading. Other fatalities, including those occurring on board the bus, are excluded.

Independent research conducted by School Transportation News for the 2008-2009 school year found that at least 25 students were killed at or near the school bus stop. Many of these fatalities occurred long before or after the school bus was on scene. At least one occurred as the result of a shooting, and another involved a student on a bicycle hit by a school bus.