Posted in blog on October 6, 2021
Close to 25 million children (about the population of Texas) ride a school bus every school day. The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the school bus. National School Bus Safety Week serves as a reminder for students, parents, and the community to keep bus safety a top priority. Here are some tips to keep our children safe loading and unloading from the bus.
Morning Drop Off:
- Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
- Have children wait in a location where the driver can see them while driving down the street. Try to avoid waiting in the house or the car.
- Do not let children play in the street. Never run out into the street or cross between parked cars. Playing with balls or other toys that could roll into the street is dangerous as well.
- Stand at least ten feet away from the edge of the road.
- Wait until the school bus stops, the door gets opened and the driver says okay to get on the bus.
- Look both ways before crossing the street to board the bus.
- Never walk behind the school bus or chase after it.
Afternoon Pick-Up:
- Only exit the bus at the assigned stop.
- Check yourself and your bookbag to be sure there are no objects hanging which could get caught in either the handrails or doors while exiting the bus. Be sure to use the handrails when exiting the bus.
- Remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop, the warning system arm is extended, the door is opened, and the driver says it is okay to exit the bus.
- If your child needs to cross the street after exiting the bus, he or she should take five giant steps in front of the bus, make eye contact with the bus driver and cross when the driver indicates it is safe.
- This cannot be stressed enough: Look both ways before crossing the street!
- Cross the road in front of the bus rather than behind the bus.
- Never try to pick up things that are near or under the bus, alert the driver if you have dropped something that needs picked up.
- Carefully and quickly walk to your destination.
By discussing school bus safety rules to children, parents can help to avert accidents. It is essential to teach kids about various safety rules and regulations.
