Below is a picture of the area around a bus where the driver can't see you. This area is the same for all buses. Please become familiar with these blind spots. The most dangerous spots are the front and the back of the bus.
When you walk to and from the bus stop:
- You should cross the street at a crosswalk or a street corner, and wait for the light to turn green or for the WALK crossing signal.
- It is important to look carefully to the left, right and left again before you cross the street.
- If you must walk through parked traffic, stop and look carefully before stepping out from between vehicles.
- Don't run across the street or through a parking lot. When you are walking in these areas, you need to give your full attention to traffic.
Advise to Parents: Prepare Your Child To Take the Bus
The bus is a very safe way for your child to travel to and from school. In fact, school buses are the safest vehicles on the road! Very few deaths and injuries involve a school bus.
Most mishaps take place outside the bus, so here are some precautions you can take.
- Don't let your children arrive at the stop too early. They may be tempted to wander or get into mischief.
- Make sure they know what to do if they miss the bus: come back home; or at school, report to a teacher -- and never, never accept a ride from a stranger.
- If the stop is a long way from home, plan and discuss with your children where they can go in an emergency.
- If it is dark on the way to or from the bus, make your children visible. Use retro-reflective tape on their clothing and avoid dark colors.
- Make sure they wait well away from the roadway, and stay well back until the bus has come to a full stop and the door opens
- Explain they must walk at least three metres (10 feet) away when crossing in front of a bus so the driver can see them.
- Forbid running and horseplay
- Tell your children to come straight home from the bus - no detours.
- Do's and Don't at the Bus Stop
- Do make sure the driver can always see you
- Do stay back from the road
- Do wait quietly in line
- Do stay back until the bus stops, its lights start flashing, the door opens
- Do enter the bus single file
- Don't push or shove
- Don't run into the street
- Don't throw things
- Don't stop to pick up anything that drops while you are crossing in front of the bus
- Don't yell and shout
- Don't bring your pet on the bus