Celebrate National School Bus Safety, Appreciation Weeks with These Tips

This year’s National School Bus Safety Week and AISD’s Transportation Employee Appreciation Week are Oct. 21-25, 2013. AISD Transportation joins school districts and transportation agencies throughout Texas and the nation in celebrating the importance of school bus safety.

Nearly 22,000 Austin ISD students ride on more than 500 school buses each day and AISD's 656 transportation employees are dedicated to providing safe transportation for children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that traveling by school bus is seven times safer than traveling by car or truck. The AISD Transportation Department would like to also take this opportunity to reinforce safety through the following tips:

  • Always remain in direct eyesight of the bus driver
  • Get to the bus stop in plenty of time, always arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time
  • Take 10 giant steps back from the curb while waiting for the bus and 10 steps away from curb when exiting the bus
  • Never try to re-board the bus without the driver’s permission to retrieve an item after exiting
  • Never reach underneath the bus
  • Always follow the driver’s directions for how to cross the street
  • Be alert to traffic and look both ways
  • Always cross in front of the bus, but only when the bus driver signals it is safe

Thank you to AISD's Transporation Team for keeping students safe on and off the road!