School Bus Safety: Teaching Your Kids to Ride the Bus

SafetyBack-to-SchoolSchool Transportation

Sep 3

With the new school year starting, parents may experience some anxiety regarding their children taking the school bus or waiting at the bus stop. When my son took his first field trip using a school bus in kindergarten, I remember worrying about him not wearing a seat belt and whether I had prepared him enough for his adventure. Here, us parents can learn about school bus safety and what we can do to help keep our children free from harm.

School buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road—According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), less than 1% of traffic fatalities involve children in school transportation vehicles. However, even with this reassuring statistic, there are still dangers that exist when children are boarding or exiting the bus. NHTSA reports that over the last decade, two-thirds of fatal injuries to school-aged pedestrians in school-transportation-related crashes were struck by vehicles while getting on or off a school bus. With more than 25 million children taking the bus to and from school and school-related activities each day, it is important for parents to know the facts and teach our kids about safe school bus habits—Whether while waiting at the bus stop or while riding on the bus.

School Bus Safety Guidelines

Talk to your kids about being safe at the bus stop using these tips recommended by the NHTSA:

While Waiting for the Bus:

Arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes early to avoid rushing and accidents happening
Always stand at least 10 feet (or 5 giant steps) away from the curb—The bus driver will not be able to see you if you are any closer within the “danger zone”
Supervise young children and remind them not to run or play at the bus stop

Getting On and Off the Bus:

Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door is open, and the driver is ready for you before approaching the bus
Always cross the street at least 10 feet (or 5 giant steps) in front of the bus
Be sure to make eye contact with the bus driver prior to crossing the street
If you drop something—Tell the bus driver right away. Do not try to pick up the item without alerting the driver first
Never walk behind a school bus
Use handrails to avoid falling

While Riding the Bus

Buckle up when seatbelts are available
Stay seated with head, arms, or other objects inside the bus at all times
Keep bus aisles clear of bookbags or other items

Ways to Keep Kids Safe as a Driver

It is important to remain extra-vigilant whenever driving near a stopped or slowing school bus. Children could be waiting nearby, and they often need to cross the street when boarding or exiting the bus. Remember to always stop for school buses, and do not attempt to pass until the coast is clear. Passing a school bus when the red lights are flashing and the stop-arm is extended is illegal.

School buses are equipped with flashing colored lights to help alert drivers so that drivers may respond appropriately. A flashing yellow light on a school bus is used to indicate that the bus is slowing to a stop in order to load or unload children. In this instance, the driver must slow down and come to a stop. A flashing red light and an extended stop-arm are used to indicate that the bus is stopped, and children are boarding or exiting the bus. In this instance, the driver must stop until the red lights are no longer flashing and the stop-arm is raised.

What Makes School Buses So Safe?

School bus safety is a top priority for our children, and there are laws and regulations in place to ensure that our kids are well-protected. As the most-regulated vehicle on the road, school buses are specifically designed to help prevent crashes and passenger injuries. With their bright yellow color, flashing colored lights, cross-view mirrors, and stop-arms, they are highly visible to drivers. They also have additional safety features such as protective seating with high cush standards and rollover protection.

Why Do School Buses Not Have Seatbelts?

If you have ever worried about your child not wearing a seatbelt on a school bus, know that it is by design. Passengers experience much less force from a crash on a large school bus than those in passenger cars due to their heavy weight and ability to distribute crash forces over a wider area. They also use “compartmentalization” with strong seats and energy-absorbing seat backs that are tightly-spaced together. Because of these special compartmentalization features, children are protected without having to buckle up.

Small school buses, or those with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or less, however, are required to have seatbelts. The smaller size of these buses does not allow as large of a distribution of crash forces, nor do they have the space needed for proper compartmentalization features.

Key Points to Remember

While school buses themselves are designed to be safer than regular passenger vehicles, hazards remain when children are boarding and exiting the bus. It is important as parents to teach our children how to ride the bus and use the bus stop properly and to remember as drivers to always remain vigilant. Let’s educate our children and help keep school bus safety a top priority this year.