School Bus Safety-Tips Parents need to know
School bus safety
As a parent, one of the most worrisome feelings in the world
is the concern of how to keep your child safe when he/she is not
in your care.
It is equally important that we in turn teach our children
how to be safe when they ride the bus.
According to the National Safety Council, 22 million students
across the country begin and end their day with a trip on a
school bus.
Unfortunately many are injured each year and some are even
killed in bus related incidents.
Statistics show that in the past eleven years, there have
been at least 35 children that have died in a school bus related
incident.
It is important to note that most safety related problems
tend to occur outside of the bus; in fact, almost 2/3 of
fatalities that are bus related occurred outside of the bus
itself.
"School Bus Safety" tips for your child:
In order to minimize the threat of harm to our children it is
important that we teach them bus safety rules for getting on and
off the bus as well as for appropriate behavior while riding on
the bus. Below are safety rules related to school bus safety.
- Children should arrive at the assigned
bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled
to arrive. While waiting, children should stay away from the
road, avoid alleys and private property, and abstain from
roughhousing or careless behavior.
- As the bus is approaching it is important
that children stay away from the road. To be safe, children
should keep at least six feet away from the road. Children
should line up to enter the bus in an orderly fashion, with
no pushing or shoving.
- Before your child approaches the bus, the
bus should be at a complete halt, the lights should be
flashing, the door should be opened, and the bus driver
should signal that it is okay for them to approach and enter
the bus.(Very important rule for school bus safety!)
- When entering or leaving the bus,
children should always use the handrail to avoid falls.
Children should be cautious of clothing with drawstrings or
bags with straps, to ensure they do not get caught in the
handrail or door.
- When your child is crossing to get on or
off the bus, they should stay well in front of the bus so
that the driver can see them. Never, ever, let your child
walk behind the bus for any reason.
- If your child must cross the street in
front of the bus, he/she should walk at least ten feet ahead
of the bus along the side until the driver and child make
eye contact. Children should never cross in front of the bus
until the driver signals an “ok,” even then they should
watch for any sudden traffic changes. While other drivers
are required by law to stop for school buses stopped to load
or unload passengers, children should not count on them to
do so.
- If your child has dropped something under
or even nearby the bus, the driver should be informed before
they try to pick it up. If the driver is not informed they
may not realize where your child is and may begin to move
the bus.(Yet another very important rule for school bus
safety!)
- It is important that children behave
appropriately while riding the bus as well. When getting on
the bus, they should find a seat quickly and sit down. Loud
noises and moving around can be distracting to the driver.
Children should never put heads, arms, or hands out of the
window. Aisles should be kept clear at all time to ensure a
hazardless route to emergency exits. Children should wait
for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting up
from their seats to exit the bus.
Bus safety is extremely important and it is our
responsibility as parents to impress its significance upon our
children in order to keep them safe.
If they follow these school bus safety rules the odds of
ending up as a statistic in a school bus injury incident will be
greatly reduced.
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