As the industry awaits an update of annual data on national school bus loading and unloading and on board fatalities and injuries, the National Research Council says the United States is "missing significant opportunities" to improve its safety record on par with other countries.

The finding was part of a report published last month on global traffic safety from 1995 through last year. Compared to other countries, the National Research Council found that the U.S. fell behind other nations in reducing traffic fatalities and injuries. The report identifies safety strategies such as improved road design and traffic management; increased regulation of driver behaviors regarding speed, alcohol and drug use; and increased seat belt and motorcycle helmet use.

The committee reviewed traffic safety practices and strategies in high-income countries around the world and compared them with those in the United States. Over the past 15 years, traffic fatalities dropped by 52 percent in France, 38 percent in the United Kingdom, 25 percent in Australia, and 50 percent in 15 other high-income countries for which long-term fatality and traffic data are available. But traffic fatalities dropped by only 19 percent in the United States.

Meanwhile, independent STN research found 33 school bus-related deaths during the 2010 calendar year. Eleven of the students were struck by other vehicles while on the way to their bus stop, while waiting for the bus or after unloading. Ten of the students were apparently run over by their school bus or by another school bus shortly before or after loading or unloading. One boy was shot and killed while waiting at his school bus stop.

The remaining students were killed on board the school bus but only four students were killed as a result of a school bus or activity bus crash, most recently on Dec. 6 when an 18-wheeler collided with the rear of a school bus in Lafayette, La.