According to Campus Safety, it is estimated that over 100 people die in school bus crashes each year and that over 13,000 are injured.

Compared to cars, the school bus is a fairly safe option, but are we doing enough for our Texas students' safety?

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Earlier this year, a crash occurred between a Hays CISD bus and a concrete truck, resulting in two deaths- one was the person behind the school bus, according to KVUE News.

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Tragically, one death was a student on the bus- five-year-old Ulises Rodriguez Montoya. He was coming back from his first-ever field trip to the zoo.

The driver of the concrete truck has been charged with criminally negligent homicide as he did have illegal substances in his bloodstream and was operating the vehicle on very little sleep. He had drifted over into the bus's lane, causing the bus to roll over.

You can see footage of the crash below. There is no audio and you see no students but the footage may still be distressing to some:

The bus involved in the crash did not have seatbelts, and since the tragedy, Hays ISD has voted to retrofit their buses with belts.

Should other school districts take the same precautions?

Texas law dictates that any bus that is a 2018 or newer model must be equipped with 3-point seat belts for students.

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However, many school districts have buses that are older than that. Additionally, schools can opt out if it is determined that they do not have the budget to afford buses with seat belts, according to Click 2 Houston.

It seems Texas children's lives are negotiable- when balancing a budget is a higher priority.

Here's hoping some funds can be found to protect our children on the road.

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