Before your child heads off to the bus stop on the first day of school, take a few minutes to establish some bus safety rules. Going over a few simple tips with your child can help ensure a safe start to the school year for everyone.
Here are some suggestions to help avoid accidents:
- Encourage kids to stay 10 feet away from the front or back of the school bus.
- Make sure children arrive at the school bus stop at least five minutes early so they won't put themselves at risk by running to catch the bus.
- Teach kids to avoid horseplay while waiting for the bus. This will prevent children and their belongings from ending up in the roadway.
- Tell kids to take three big steps backwards from the curb when a bus arrives. Don't start approaching the bus until it has stopped and its doors are open.
Also, children should take care getting on the bus. They should let the driver know if they drop something and make sure the driver can see them if they try to pick it up. Children should use handrails and be careful to not catch drawstrings, backpack straps, scarves and loose clothing on rails, doors or seats.
In addition, kids should remain seated and face forward and avoid yelling and horseplay in the bus.
Kids should wait for a complete stop before getting up from their seats. The child should cross only when the driver says it's safe and look left, right and left again prior to walking across the street.