RoadSmart Report | October, 2002
School bus safety
For
many students, “back to school” means daily trips to and from school
on a big yellow school bus. The good news for parents of these students is that
studies have found school buses to be one of the safest vehicles on the road
today. In fact, experts say children are 16 times safer riding in a school bus
than in a passenger vehicle.
“When
mishaps do occur, they are usually when students are loading and unloading
from school buses,” says Shannon Ell, SGI’s Supervisor of Traffic
Safety Promotion. “That is why motorists, parents and students themselves
all have a role to play in school bus safety.”
“Motorists,
for example, must slow down in school zones and remember the rules of the
road related to school buses.”
Use
caution when approaching a school bus with flashing yellow lights. The lights
mean you have to slow down because the bus is getting ready to stop and load
or unload passengers. When the bus has its flashing red lights and stop arm
activated, stop until the red lights and stop arm have disengaged. It is
illegal to pass a school bus from either direction once it is stopped and
has its emergency lights activated.
“Stop
arms and red flashing lights are sometimes not used,” Ell warned. “Drivers
should know the laws in their area, proceed with caution and prepare for
unpredictable children around school buses at all times.”
Parents
also have a role to play in preventing school bus accidents by teaching their
children proper bus etiquette.
Ell
recommends parents teach their children the following to ensure a safe trip:
• Always
stand three metres away from the curb when waiting for the bus to pick
you up. If you stand too close to the road, drivers may not be able to
see you until it’s too late and you could be hit by a vehicle.
• Approach
the bus only when it has come to a complete stop and the driver has opened
the door. If you try to get on or off the bus too quickly, you could injure
yourself.
• Be
a considerate passenger. Find a seat as soon as you get on the bus and
stay in that seat for the entire ride.
• It’s
okay to talk, but keep voices down and pay attention to the bus driver.
• Buses
have large blind spots behind, in front of and beside the bus. When getting
off the bus, move quickly and safely through these areas, making sure the
bus driver can see you.
• Be
careful with clothing that has drawstrings. The strings can get caught
in the handrail on the door. Tuck the strings into the clothing or cut
them off completely.
“Make
sure your children understand that, while other motorists are required
to follow certain rules around school buses, not all of them do,” Ell
says. “Teach your children to watch other traffic very carefully.”
For
more information contact:
Shannon
Ell, Supervisor
Traffic
Safety Promotion
SGI
Regina
Phone:
(306) 775-6179
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