Love Your Kids. Love The Bus.

Facts to learn and share:

* The National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school.
* Some 480,000 school buses carry 26 million children – more than half of America’s schoolchildren – each day, rarely with any serious accident.

* Safety features including the color and size of school buses, height, reinforced sides, flashing red lights, cross view mirrors, and crossing and stop sign arms ensure children are protected and secure on and off the bus.
* School bus drivers are highly trained professionals who have your child’s safety in mind. They receive specialized training in student behavior management, loading and unloading, security and emergency medical procedures.
* Drivers participate in pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing, as well as frequent driving record checks, and submit to background checks and periodic medical exams to keep their Commercial Driver’s License with a School Bus Endorsement.
* The school bus industry operates by a set of safety, security, health and driver qualification guidelines that meet, and in some cases exceed, federal and state laws, and ensure that school buses are the safest mode of transportation for our nation’s schoolchildren.

School Bus Safety Tips

For students:

* Be alert to traffic. Check both ways for cars before stepping off the bus.
* Make eye contact with the bus driver, and wait for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street.

* Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
* While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
* Before leaving the sidewalk, look for the flashing red lights.
* Never go near or under the bus to retrieve something you’ve dropped.

For parents:

* Have your child ride the school bus to and from school instead of driving or riding with teenage passengers.
* Review the safety tips with your child regularly.

* Get to know the parents of other riders. You will learn about the other children who are riding along with your child.
* Team with other parents to get involved and monitor bus stops and bus routes. Voice concerns immediately to your school district.
* Attend “back to school” nights and tour your child’s school bus.
* Get to know your school’s transportation coordinator and your child’s bus driver. He or she is a trained professional who sees your child every day.
* Keep phone numbers handy in case the bus is delayed or in the event of an emergency.

– Courtesy of LoveTheBus.com.