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Safety
tips for children who ride school buses
Parents and teachers should encourage
children who ride school buses to observe the following guidelines,
provided by the National Safety Council, to ensure their safety:
- When waiting for the bus, stay away from
traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to
carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
- Line up away from the street or road as
the school bus approaches. Wait until the bus has stopped and the
door opens before stepping onto the roadway.
- Use the handrail when stepping onto the
bus.
- When on the bus, find a seat and sit down.
Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not
allowed. Never put head, arms or hands out of the window.
- Keep aisles clear – books or bags
are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.
- Before you reach your stop, get ready to
leave by getting your books and belongings together. At your bus
stop, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting
up from your seat. Then, walk to the front door and exit, using
the handrail
- If you have to cross the street in front
of the bus, walk at least 10 feet ahead of the bus along the side
of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver. Make
sure that the driver can see you. Wait for a signal from the driver
before beginning to cross. When the driver signals, walk across
the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
- Do not cross the centerline of the road
until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
Stay away from the rear wheels of the wheels at all times.
School bus transportation is one of the safest forms of transportation
in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Every
year, the nation’s 450,000 public school buses travel more than
4.3 billion miles to transport 23.5 million children to and from school
and school-related activities. Students are nearly eight times safer
riding in a school bus than in cars.
The fatality rate for school buses is 0.2 fatalities per 100 million
vehicle miles traveled (VMT), compared to 1.5 per 100 million VMT for
cars.
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