America’s School Transportation & School-Zone Risk Index, 2015 - 2024

The Millar Law Firm created this index using 2015–2024 NHTSA fatal-crash data. Annualized rates per 1 million residents were calculated for school-bus vehicle involvement (25%), school-zone sign or device vehicle involvement (25%), pedestrian involvement (35%), and pedalcyclist involvement (15%). The weighted scores were normalized and adjusted by a limited LPR camera-density modifier of up to 10%, then rescaled so the highest score equaled 100. Higher scores indicate greater relative risk, not crash probability. LPR data represents general license-plate readers rather than school-zone cameras, and FARS involvement counts do not necessarily represent unique crashes or fatalities.

Interpretation and limitations: • Higher scores mean higher measured relative risk within this 51-jurisdiction comparison; they are not crash probabilities. • NHTSA exports count vehicles or people involved in fatal crashes. They do not necessarily count unique crashes or people killed. • The school-zone vehicle export uses the field ‘Traffic Control Device: School Zone Sign/Device’; pedestrian and pedalcyclist exports use ‘School Zone: Yes.’ These are related but not identical classifications. • LPRMaps reports tracked license-plate-reader cameras, not school-zone speed cameras. Camera density is therefore a limited context modifier, not a direct safety-outcome measure. • Population is implied from LPRMaps’ rounded camera-density figure because no outside population source was introduced. Rates should be treated as approximate. • Small jurisdictions can have volatile per-capita rates. Use ranks as a screening tool and publish raw counts and rates alongside the score.
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