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.
• Check both ways for cars before stepping off the bus.
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Students Crossing the Street Should

• 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 10 giant steps ahead of the bus.
• Be sure the bus driver can see them, and they can see the bus driver.
• Wait for the driver’s signal to cross.

Things Students Should Know About School Bus Safety

• The bus driver and others cannot see you if you are standing closer than 10 feet to the bus.
• Stay out of the danger zone!
• If something falls under or near the bus, tell the driver. NEVER try to pick it up yourself!
• While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
• When you get on or off the bus, look for the bus safety lights and make sure they are flashing.
• Be alert to traffic. When you get on or off the bus, look left, right, left before you enter or cross the street.
• When the driver says it is safe to cross the street, remember to CROSS IN FRONT of the bus.
• Stay in your seat and sit quietly so that the driver is not distracted.
• Some school buses now have seat belts. If you have seat belts on your school bus, be sure to learn to use the seat belt correctly.

Things Families Should Know About School Bus Safety

• School buses are the safest form of highway transportation.
• The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the 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 behind the 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
• We highly recommend all students under 10 years of age be accompanied to and from bus stops and school
• Please inform your student to let the driver know if they are confused about their bus stop in the afternoon. Driver will inform dispatch to call school that the student will be returned to school

This information was provided by the National School Bus Safety Week Committee