School bus safety made its way into the spotlight in mid November, when a minibus crashed into a truck in rural western China, crushing 19 preschoolers to death. But such a tragedy is not the first of its kind.

Nov. 16th, 2011, Gansu - There was nothing unusual about being squeezed into the minibus for the trip to the kindergarten. But this day, the bus collided head-on with a truck. 19 young lives perished. The nine-seat bus was carrying 62 preschoolers.

Overload is a common sight.

Feb. 26th, 2010, Jiangsu - A four-year-old girl suffocated to death, because her seven-seat school bus was carrying 26 kids.

March, 2011, Beijing - A school bus loading almost twice the people allowed, crashed into a roadside construction site, killing one boy. The driver was found to be a drug addict.

In many cases, poor driving habits resulted in tragedies.

Dec. 27th, 2010, Hunan - 14 children died when their school bus plunged into a creek.

And sometimes, carelessness is to blame.

Sep. 13th, Hubei - Two toddlers were forgotten on the bus on a hot summer day. They were found dead after being trapped for eight hours.

Many such cases occur in rural regions. Often both parents move to big cities in search for better jobs to support their family. They are aware of the conditions in which their children travel to school, but there is no other choice if they want to give them an education.

It is time to spare parents worries, and make trips to school safer.

(CNTV December 13, 2011)