commute to school

Back to School Transportation Safety Tips

As families prepare to head back to school, it is important to familiarize parents and children with some potentially lifesaving safety tips. Buses and bicycles are two of the most commonly used forms of transportation amongst children commuting to and from school. Dr. David Arai, emergency medicine physician on the medical staff at Centennial Medical Center in Frisco, Texas, answers some questions about back-to-school bike and bus safety.

Q: What are some of the most common injuries seen in bike-related accidents?

We see a significant amount of internal injuries, like bleeding from the liver or other internal organs and ruptured spleens. Since children and teenagers have enlarged spleens in general, the risk of damage to this organ is greater. Head injuries and broken bones are common as well, and if a bone such as a rib is broken, children run the risk of puncturing a lung.

Q: What factors contribute to the severity of bike injuries?