For most students, a normal school day starts and ends with a school bus trip. School buses are always considered as the safest means of transportation for school students. But, there are some school bus safety concerns involved.
For school buses to continue being safe, there are certain school bus safety rules and tips that drivers, parents and students should be aware of.
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They are as follows:
School bus safety tips for drivers:
- Look out for children walking or bicycling to school while entering or leaving a garage
- Use the horn as an extra precaution
- Watch out for young people who never care about speeding and safety
- Try to slow down, especially when a child is walking near the bus
- Always be alert, which can subsequently reduce the number of accidents
- Do not try to load or unload children across the street
- Stop the school bus where you will have the best view of the railway tracks. Be sure that you are never closer than 15 feet or farther than 50 feet from the tracks.
- Always keep your hands in a proper driving position for the safety of students as well as you
- Before starting the trip, check the school bus thoroughly to identify the mechanical issues existing in the bus
School bus safety tips for children:
- Keep your head and arms inside the school bus
- Reach the bus stop earlier than the scheduled time of the school bus
- When the bus reaches the stop, stand at least 6 feet away from the curb and line up. The queue should not extend to the road
- Wait for the bus to stop, open the door and board the bus only when the driver assures that it is safe to get on the bus
- If, by chance, something drops to the ground while boarding the bus, do not try to pick it up. Instead, inform the driver about it
- While crossing in front of the bus:
a. Make sure that you are at least 10 feet away from the bus
b. Make sure that you can see the bus and the driver can see you
- Use handrails to avoid falling. Also, make sure thee uniform doesn’t get caught in the handrails or doors while boarding or getting off the bus
- Never walk behind the bus. If you have to cross the road, do it only when the bus is stopped and has lights flashing
- Walk at least 3 feet away from the sides of the bus
- While crossing the road, look left, right and then left again
- When you wait for the bus, pay attention to the surroundings
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School bus safety tips for parents
- Teach safety rules to children
- Familiarize yourself with school bus drivers
- Assure that students do not go to bus stops without adult supervision
- Make sure that children know the bus number and the time at which school bus is scheduled to arrive
- Make sure that the child arrives the bus stop early
- Tell your child to follow every instruction given by a school bus driver
- Practice a good pedestrian behavior with your child
- Never allow the child to play at the bus stop
- Advise children to look to the right before getting off the school bus
School bus laws
1. Yellow flashing lights show that the school bus has stopped for the purpose of loading or unloading children. By seeing this indication, motorist should slow down and stop their vehicles.
2. Red flashing lights and extended arms indicate that the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off the bus. By seeing this indication, motorists should stop their vehicles until the red lights stop flashing and extended sign is withdrawn.
Reinforcing school safety tips and teaching the importance of the following them play an integral part in protecting the children from accidents and injuries.
All the above mentioned tips will definitely help you to have a safe and secure school bus trip. This indeed reduces the unwanted fear, anxiety and tension of both parents and school authorities.
