As kids go back to school in Las Vegas and across Nevada, parents should take some time to talk to their kids about school bus safety. Even if kids do not take the school bus every day, they will certainly be around buses while going to and from school and on school trips. Kids should know the rules of school bus safety so that they can avoid being injured in a pedestrian accident or a bus accident.
One important thing that kids should know is not to stand too closely to a school bus. Kids should never walk or run behind a school bus. The ten-foot perimeter all the way around the bus is known as the “danger zone” because the bus driver cannot see a child who is standing in the zone. Kids should always make sure that the driver can see them, and they should ask the driver before retrieving an item that they may have dropped near the bus.
Part of a family’s routine should be to get kids to the bus stop at least five minutes early. If a child plans to get to the stop early, there is less of a chance that the child will be running for the bus. A child that is running to catch the bus and worried they will miss it could easily forget safety rules and run into the street and in front of oncoming traffic.
When kids are riding the bus, they should talk quietly. If kids are too loud, they could distract the bus driver. Kids should also remain seated until the bus has stopped completely.
Source: PennDOT, “PennDOT Reminds Parents, Students About School Bus Safety,” Aug. 22, 2011
