-
School buses are the safest form of highway transportation.
The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the
school bus.
-
Pedestrian fatalities (while loading and unloading
school buses) account for approximately three times as many school bus-related
fatalities, when compared to school bus occupant fatalities.
-
The loading and unloading area is called the
“Danger Zone”
-
The “Danger Zone” is the area on all sides of
the bus where children are in the most danger of not being seen by the
driver (ten feet in front of the bus where the driver may be too high to
see a child, ten feet on either side of the bus where a child may be in
the driver’s blind spot, and the area behind the school bus).
-
Half of the pedestrian fatalities in school bus-related
crashes are children between 5 and 7 years old.
Young children are most likely to be struck
because they:
-
Hurry to get on and off the bus
-
Act before they think and have little experience
with traffic
-
Assume motorists will see them and will wait
for them to cross the street
-
Don’t always stay within the bus driver’s sight
Students riding a school bus should always:
-
Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early.
-
Stand at least 5 giant steps (10 feet) away from
the edge of the road.
-
Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and
the driver says it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.
-
Be careful that clothing with drawstrings and
book bags with straps or dangling objects do not get caught in the handrail
or door when exiting the bus.
-
Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the
bus.
-
Walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the
road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead.
-
Be sure the bus driver can see you, and you can
see the bus driver.
-
Stop at the edge of the bus and look left-right-left
before crossing.
-
Tell the bus driver if you drop something beside
the bus. Should you try to pick it up, the bus driver may not see you and
drive away.
During the school bus ride:
-
Always sit fully in the seat and face forward
-
DO NOT distract the driver
-
Never stand on a moving bus
-
Obey the driver
-
Speak in a low voice
-
NEVER stick anything out the window - arms, legs,
head, bookbags, etc.
Motorists Should:
-
Be aware it is illegal in every state to pass
a school bus stopped to load/unload students.
-
Know and understand laws governing motorist’s
driving behavior near a school bus.
-
Learn the “flashing signal light system” that
school bus drivers use to alert motorists if they are going to stop to
load/unload students.
-
Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing
to stop to load or unload children.
-
Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop
their vehicles.
-
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate
that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists
MUST stop their cars.
-
Begin moving only when the red flashing lights
are turned off, the stop arm is withdrawn and the bus begins to move.
-
Watch out for young people who may be thinking
about getting to school, but may not be thinking about getting there safely.
-
Slow Down. Watch for children walking in the
street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood. Watch
for children playing and gathering near bus stops.
-
Be Alert. Children arriving late for the bus
may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
|
