By Faith Peppers
University of Georgia
To be certain children have a safe trip to school each day, try
these safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration:
* Make sure children get to the stop on time, wait far away from
the road and avoid rough play.
* Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he drops
something near the bus. If a child stoops to pick up something,
the driver can’t see him. Then he could be hit by the bus. A book
bag or backpack helps keep loose items together.
* Make sure clothing has no loose drawstrings and backpack straps
are short, so they don’t get caught in the handrail or bus door.
* If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your
school office or transportation director about changing the
location.
Teach your child to get on and off the bus safely:
1. When getting on, stay away from the danger zone near the bus
and wait for the driver’s signal. Board the bus single file.
2. When getting off, look before stepping off the bus to be sure
no cars are passing on the shoulder. Move away from the bus.
3. Before crossing the street, take five “giant steps” out from
the front of the bus, or until the child can see the driver’s
face. Wait for the driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
4. Look left-right-left when coming to the edge of the bus to
make sure traffic is stopped. Continue to watch for traffic when
crossing.
Other motorists pose the greatest threat to children traveling to
school. Most children are injured at bus stops by cars illegally
passing the bus.
Drivers coming to a school bus from either direction must stop
when the bus displays flashing red warning lights and extends the
stop-signal arm. These signals show that children are getting on
or off the school bus.
Don’t pass until the flashing red lights and signals are turned
off.
Drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus are always
required to stop. In some states, but not in Georgia, drivers
moving in the opposite direction on a divided roadway are also
required to stop.
Never pass on the right side of the bus, where children enter or
exit. This is illegal and can have tragic results.
For more information, call the NHTSA Auto Safety Hotline
(1-888-DASH-2-DOT) or visit the NHTSA Web site
(www.nhtsa.dot.gov).
