How Bus Accidents and Car Accidents Differ and How to Avoid Them

You can have a car accident any time you drive. You might strike another car, or a vehicle can hit you instead. You may also have a bus accident. They’re often more serious, and they can happen anywhere.

For instance, Illinois sees many bus accidents. They don’t happen much out on the highway, but major cities like Chicago see them more often. You can’t ignore the daily reality of bus accidents in Illinois, but you should not let this possibility stop you. You can still drive, and you probably must if you don’t have much public transportation nearby.  

We’ll discuss how car and bus accidents differ right now. We’ll also go over some bus wreck avoidance techniques you can practice while on the road.

How Car and Bus Accidents Differ

You might encounter a bus on the road. When you do, maybe it’s a public transportation vehicle. Most major cities have them, and even smaller cities sometimes have at least a few bus routes.

You might also see school buses around your town or city. You may encounter Greyhound buses and other varieties while you’re out on the highway.

You can always hit another car, or another car can strike your vehicle. When that happens, you might walk away unharmed. If you tap someone’s back bumper, for example, and you barely made contact, both you and the other driver might sustain no serious injuries.

Bus accidents often involve more serious damage and worse injuries. That happens because buses have more weight and mass. Even if you have a truck, you probably won’t do well if you hit a bus, or a bus hits you.

What Can Happen if a Bus Hits You?

If a bus hits you, its speed and yours usually determine the damage. If a bus hits you while traveling fast, it can kill or severely injure you. If a bus makes minimal contact, even that can cause harm. Again, you’re looking at a much larger and heavier vehicle, so just a nudge can devastate you and your car.

If a bus hits you, maybe you made a driving mistake, or perhaps you can blame the bus driver. Either way, though, you must stop and assess the damage. The bus driver must also stop. The law can prosecute any bus driver who hits another vehicle and drives away.

What Can You Do Following a Bus Accident?

After a bus accident, you must assess your condition. If you need an ambulance, you can call 911. If you don’t have a smartphone on you or you’re badly injured and can’t call, someone else can call for help for you.

You must get your damaged vehicle off the road if you can. You can then give the police your report when they show up. If you can’t give them a report immediately because you need urgent medical care, then you can handle this later.

In the aftermath, you can determine who caused the accident. Usually, it’s obvious. You can also figure out what entity you must contact.

If you hit a car or a car hits your vehicle, you’re presumably contacting the other motorist’s insurance company. Determining your point of contact after a bus accident might prove more difficult.

Now, let’s go over how you can avoid bus accidents. Any time you can avoid them, you should do so, since larger vehicles like buses often cause serious harm when wrecks occur.

Stay Away if You Can

Like the big eighteen-wheel commercial trucks you see out on the highway, buses command your attention. As a driver, if you see one near you, you must watch it carefully and notice its speed and what it’s doing.

If you can keep your distance, do so. That’s often how you avoid a possible collision. If you’re not immediately around a larger vehicle like a bus, you can’t hit it, and it can’t hit you. That might sound simplistic, but it’s true.

What if You Can’t Stay Away?

If traffic conditions change and you can’t avoid a bus, whether you’re out on the highway or in the city, get clear the moment you can. Maybe you must stay beside the bus for a moment or two, but usually, you can create some distance when the traffic around you moves.

Usually, you’ll remain near a bus longer when traffic jams occur. If that happens, perhaps you’re sitting without moving with a bus alongside you. Maybe you have a bus directly ahead or behind.

Sit patiently and get away when the traffic starts moving again. Keeping clear whenever possible makes a bus collision less likely.

Follow All Traffic Laws Meticulously

If traffic conditions arise and you’re near a bus, you should also meticulously follow all traffic laws when you’re beside one. You should obey all traffic laws anyway, but it’s even more crucial in those moments.

If you don’t signal when changing lanes or if you let something distract you when you’re near a bus, you’re courting disaster. If you disobey any law with a bus close by, a deadly wreck can occur.

Also, know a bus’s blind spots. If you’re directly behind a large bus, the driver can’t see you. That’s why you should never tailgate a bus. Give it some space if it’s in the lane ahead.

Know Bus Safety Rules and Follow Them

If you keep your distance and follow all traffic laws around buses, you can usually avoid accidents. Bus drivers often have plenty of experience, and they must get special licenses.

Companies that handle hiring don’t just let anyone become a bus driver. Drivers usually receive plenty of training before you ever see them out on the road.

If a bus does hit you, you should probably contact a lawyer. You may need their expertise while you get through the aftermath.

Make sure you get a lawyer with bus accident experience since not all personal injury lawyers have the requisite expertise.