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Feature Articles for August, 2003
 Parents Can Help by Christine Ridout The big yellow school bus has replaced the apple as the symbol of education in America. Approximately 47% of public school students ride a school bus to and from school every day according to the 1999 Report Card on School Bus Safety. But how safe are school buses and how safe is your child riding one? A study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transporta-tion Services concluded that “School buses are the safest form of motor vehicle travel in the U.S.” School buses meet stringent federal safety standards for crashworthiness and for occupant crash protection. Nationally, approximately 11 children are killed annually while inside a school bus and 15 are fatally injured as pedestrians in the loading and unloading zones. This compares with 600 child fatalities in passenger cars going to and from school, usually with Mom at the wheel. The majority of school bus accidents occur when children are getting on or off the bus, not while riding it. Such fatalities occur when a child is struck by his own school bus, including incidents when children’s clothing or backpacks get caught in the bus door or on the hand railings. Other fatalities result when another motor vehicle passes a stopped school bus and strikes a child. In spite of the high level of safety, there are issues that need to be addressed: • vehicles passing stopped school buses that are loading or unloading children • the extensive use of non-conforming vehicles that do not meet safety requirements for transporting school children • inappropriate behavior and violence on the part of children on the bus What Parents Can Do The biggest factor in keeping children safe is educating them about school bus safety, particularly the hazards when getting on and off the bus. Experts recommend: • Children must be aware of traffic around the bus. They should look both ways when crossing, never assume that all traffic will stop, stay alert and listen to the driver’s instructions. • Children must stay out of the “Danger Zone” – anywhere within 10 feet of the bus. Children must never try to retrieve items left on the bus or that have fallen underneath the bus. • Children stay in their seats and keep noise levels reasonable. • Hands, heads and feet must stay inside the bus. • Children should not throw objects inside the bus or out the windows. • Cooperation with the driver is essential. • Be at the bus stop early. This will avoid last minute dashes across busy streets. Christine Ridout is a freelance writer and the director of the BostonWest Center for Writing and Photography in Wayland, MA, www.thewritephoto.com, and the mother of three boys, including twins. |
