School Bus Safety
SOME TIPS FOR A SAFE SCHOOL BUS RIDE:
Children should never walk behind the bus
If crossing the street, take 5 big steps away from the bus, and wait for the bus driver to give you a thumbs up to cross
Children who rush are particularly vulnerable, so be sure to arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes early
Use the handrail when getting on and off of the bus
Your backpack should be in your hands when getting on and off the bus, not on your back
If you drop something outside the bus, NEVER try to pick it up and tell the driver.
Check out more tips and facts about school buses with these links:
Keeping Children Safe How Buses Benefit Communities Danger of Motorists
The Danger Zone Safety Guide for Families The True Cost of a Bus
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road; they’re designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries; and in every state, stop-arm laws protect children from other motorists.
Different by Design
School buses are designed so that they’re highly visible and include safety features such as flashing red lights, cross-view mirrors and stop-sign arms. They also include protective seating, high crush standards and rollover protection features.
Seat belts play an important role in keeping vehicle passengers safe, but since school buses are different by design, they have a different kind of safety restraint system.
Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than passenger cars and light trucks. These differences help bus passengers experience much less crash force than those in passenger cars, light trucks and vans.
NHTSA decided the best way to provide crash protection to passengers of large school buses is through a concept called “compartmentalization.” This requires that the interior of large buses protect children without them needing to buckle up. Through compartmentalization, children are protected from crashes by strong, closely -spaced seats that have energy-absorbing seat backs.
Small school buses (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less) must be equipped with lap or lap/shoulder belts at all designated seating positions. Since the sizes and weights of small school buses are closer to those of passenger cars and trucks, seat belts in those vehicles are necessary to provide occupant protection.
What makes a school bus safe?
Flashing red lights
Size, Height, & Color
Cross-view Mirrors
Driver Qualifications
Trained in Student Behavior
Participate in pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing
Frequent driving record checks
Trained in safety and security procedures
Trained in medical emergencies
Stop sign arms & laws
Protective seating
High crash standards
Rollover protection
How safe are school buses?
Students are approximately 70 times more likely to get to school safely if they take the school bus.
What are some of the safety features that help protect students on the school bus?
School buses are equipped with:
flashing red lights
cross-view mirrors
stop-sign arms
They also have:
protective seating
high crush standards
rollover protection features
highly visible by design
How do school buses reduce the carbon footprint?
With a nationwide capability of removing up to 17 million cars from joining the daily commute, school bus ridership saves over 20 million tons of CO2 emissions each year.
How do laws protect students who are getting on and off the bus?
By making it illegal for motorists to pass a school bus as it picks up and drops off students, regardless of the direction of travel.
School Buses Benefit Everybody!
Since the start of school buses, they have been improving the country. School buses transport nearly 26 million students each day. Could you imagine a city without buses?
More cars on the road
Workers would arrive late to work due to heavier traffic
Families would spend more time and money at the fuel pump
More teens behind the wheel and increasing risks to all
Fewer students getting to school on time or at all
Lungs are breathing in more carbon dioxide due to more vehicles on the road