National School Bus Safety Week: Safety tips for parents and children

This week marks National School Bus Safety Week and our earlier post looked at the safety of riding the bus to school and found that they are the safest form of transportation for children.  However, there are are a number of additional tips for children and parents to keep in mind.

The greatest risk with school buses is when children are boarding and leaving the bus; that is why motorists should be extra vigilant when sharing the road. The most important tip for drivers is to obey the stop arm signal and red flashing lights outside the bus and do not pass until the signals are turned off. Also, never pass on the right side of a bus where children exit and enter. Children often do not pay attention to the road, so it’s important for drivers to keep a close watch when driving in school areas and neighborhoods.

Here are some other tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to consider:

• Supervise children to make sure they get to the bus stop on time.
• Make sure they wait on the curb away from the road and avoid rough play.
• Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he/she drops something near the bus. A driver cannot see a child who may bend down to pick something up. Have your child use a backpack or bag to keep loose items contained.
• Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that may get caught in the handrail or bus door.
• Encourage safe school bus loading and unloading.
• If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your school or transportation office about changing the location.

For more on child safety, see our kids and car safety guide.

—Liza Barth