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School bus accident near Jettingen: standing places endanger schoolchildren!
Accident with a school bus in Günzburg: 11 children injured, overcrowded buses and safety problems highlight the situation.
School bus accident near Jettingen: standing places endanger schoolchildren!
On June 6, 2025, a serious accident occurred near Jettingen-Scheppach, in which a full school bus was involved in a collision with a car. At about 7:50 a.m., the 22-year-old driver of a car tried to overtake a tractor-trailer, but overlooked the oncoming articulated bus in which 94 students were sitting. The impact was severe: Eleven schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 15 suffered minor to moderate injuries, as did the driver herself, while another car driver who was driving behind the bus sustained minor injuries. The total property damage is estimated at around 150,000 euros.
Around 40 people from the fire department were on site and several rescue teams looked after the injured. The affected county road remained completely closed until around 11 a.m. The students who were initially unable to get off the bus were later taken to their schools on replacement buses. The person who caused the accident is now accused of negligent bodily harm in traffic, and investigations into the exact circumstances of the incident are ongoing.
School Bus Overcrowding: A Chronic Problem
A key problem that this incident has once again brought to light is the overcrowding of school buses in Bavaria. Especially during peak times, the buses are often full of students, while many have to travel in standing room. Henrike Paede from the Bavarian Parents' Association warned that not all children get a seat. Monika Steffen, representative of the State Association of Bavarian Bus Companies (LBO), sees an increase in bus capacity as unrealistic, as this would require more vehicle reserves and additional driving staff. According to the LBO, without standing room, local public transport could even be in danger.
Over 1.3 million students use buses or trains every day. School buses are relatively safe: only around 7% of accidents on the way to school involve these public means of transport. However, the shares of the other parties involved are extensive: almost 45% of school accidents affect cyclists, 12% “parent taxis” and 10% pedestrians, as data from the German Statutory Accident Insurance show.
A look at the numbers
The student accident statistics are alarming. The most common road traffic accidents in student accident insurance are bicycle accidents, followed by accidents involving cars and pedestrians. In these events, the school bus accounts for only 7.05% of the overall balance, showing that it is relatively safer than other modes of transport.
- Fahrrad (privates Verkehrsmittel): 23.075 (45,54%)
- Pkw: 5.996 (11,84%)
- Zu Fuß: 4.930 (9,73%)
- Motorisiertes Zweirad: 3.315 (6,54%)
- Sonstige/k.A.: 4.758 (9,39%)
- Schulbus (öffentliches Verkehrsmittel): 3.572 (7,05%)
Against this background, a petition to change the standing room regulations was rejected in 2014, making the ongoing problem all the more urgent. It remains to be seen what measures those responsible will now take to increase the safety of students on the roads.
The affected families now have to come to terms with what happened. School education and children's safety are paramount - that should be the lesson from this incident.
For detailed information about the accident and safety in school transport, we refer to the reporting by Mercury and the comprehensive data of the German statutory accident insurance; also the reporting BR provides valuable insights.