Safety tips, on and around the school bus

 
It's National School Bus Safety Week, and a good time to remember some essential safety tips on and around school buses.

Be aware of the bus danger zone. This is the area on all sides of the bus where children are in the most danger of being hit. Your child should stay as far away from the bus as possible unless he is boarding or exiting. At a minimum he should stay 10 feet away from the front and sides of the bus and should never walk behind it. Teach your kids to take five giant steps out from the front of the bus and then wait for the driver to signal that it’s OK to cross.

Move away from the bus carefully after exiting. Even though drivers are not supposed to pass a bus as children are leaving it, some still do. Your child needs to make sure that no cars are passing the bus before she moves away from it. After the bus driver signals that it’s OK to cross in front, your child should then look to her left and right to make sure no other vehicles are passing before she crosses the street.

Tell your child to take his time getting on or off the bus. He should never hurry. You don’t want him to trip and fall under, behind, or in front of the bus. And he should wait for the driver to signal that it’s OK to board. Children should board the bus one at a time.

Horseplay should not be allowed around the bus stop. It takes only a moment for a child to fall in front of or under a bus.

Never pick up something near a bus. Tell your child that no matter how important the item is, she should never bend down to pick it up. The driver can’t see her, and she could be hit by the bus or slip under it. If she drops something, she should tell the driver and let him or the bus monitor retrieve it.

Get more safety tips in Consumer Reports Guide to Childproofing and Safety guide.