County Officials Ask Parents To Discuss School Bus Safety With Kids

NEW CITY, NY — Please share a few simple bus safety tips with your kids to help them stay safe when traveling to and from school. That's what Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert want parents to do before opening day.

"More children and vehicles on the roads make this time of year particularly dangerous," they said.

That does not mean school buses are more dangerous: Students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The problem is getting on and off. Most children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4- to 7-years-old and walking when they are hit, research from the National Safety Council shows.

Help your children be careful by following a few safety tips, Ruppert and Day said, offering up three basics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the New York State Education Department:

• Safety starts at the bus stop: Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. Show your child where to wait for the bus: at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the curb. Remind your child that the bus stop is not a place to run or play.
• Get on and off safely: When the school bus arrives, your child should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, the door opens, and the driver says it is okay before approaching the bus door. Your child should use the handrails to avoid falling.
• Use caution around the bus: Your child should never walk or cross the street behind a school bus. If your child must cross the road to get to the bus, tell them to walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street, at least five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus before crossing. Your child should also make eye contact with the bus driver before crossing to make sure the driver can see them. If your child drops something near the school bus, like a ball or book, the safest thing is for your child to tell the bus driver right away. Your child should not try to pick up the item because the driver might not be able to see them.

They also offered the most important tip of all, because this one's not just for kids or parents:

• Practice safe driving in school zones: Always stop for school buses that are loading or unloading children. When driving in a school zone, never pass other vehicles, obey the posted school zone speed, obey the "flashing signal light system" that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions, and follow any signals given by crossing guards.

"Please slow down and prepare to stop whenever you see a school bus with its flashing lights on. Drivers have a responsibility to protect our children. One mistake while driving distracted or rushing to your destination can claim a life and nothing can ever be done to undo that," Day said.

For more information, visit the NHTSA website.