How Kids Can Stay Safe Around School Buses

If you’re the parent of school-aged children, you likely know the routine of watching their too-large backpacks disappear around the corner as they climb onto their school bus, only to see their faces reappear again in the window.

Maybe, if it doesn’t embarrass them too much, you blow kisses. Maybe it’s just a tiny wave goodbye.

No matter the routine, you’ve likely spent a slightly panicky moment or two worried about their safety as they get on or off the bus and ride to and from school.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure school bus safety.

According to the Minnesota Department of Safety, when you drop your kids off at the school bus, you should remind them of these safety precautions:

• When getting off a bus, look to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder.
• Wait for the bus driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
• When crossing the street to get on the bus or to go home, make eye contact with motorists before proceeding.

There are things you can do as a motorist to ensure the safety of kids riding the school bus, too:

• Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights or a stop arm when approaching from the rear and from the opposite direction on undivided roads.
• Slow down, pay attention and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times by putting distractions away.

The Minnesota State Patrol plays a major role in school transportation safety here in Minnesota, including inspecting every school bus in the entire state every year and auditing the bus driver files of school districts and contractors to make sure their drivers are properly trained and licensed, according to a news release.

Properly trained and licensed

Yellow school bus drivers are required to have a Class B or C driver’s license — that depends on the size of the bus they drive. According to sate officials, they also need both a passenger endorsement and a school bus endorsement on the license, which they can get by passing a written test and a skills test. In addition to the license with the proper endorsements, school bus drivers must be medically qualified and must pass a criminal background check.

Sometimes DPS discovers violations of these school bus driver training and licensing requirements. When that happens, DPS can file charges against the carrier or district that made the violation. These violations get forwarded to the commissioners of public safety and education.

If the worst happens and a school bus is involved in a crash, the law requires a post-crash inspection to take place if any vehicle has to be towed away from the scene or any person has to be taken from the scene for medical attention.

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