Recent bouts of school violence have parents more worried
than ever about the safety of their children in America’s
schools. Statistics show that their concerns should begin long
before the child reaches the classroom.

“Students are much more at risk traveling to and from
school than at any other time during the school day,” said Don
Bower, a University of Georgia Extension Service human
development specialist.

Watch for Cars

Millions of children in the United States ride safely to
and from school on school buses each day. But an average of 33
school-age children die in school bus-related traffic crashes
each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.

“In the 1997-98 school year, more than 800 students
(ages
5-18) were killed on their way to and from school,” Bower said,
“if you include all modes of transportation — not just school
buses.”

Most of those killed in bus accidents are pedestrians,
5 to 7 years old. They are hit in the danger zone around the
bus, either by a passing vehicle or by the school bus itself.
“Many more kids are killed running in front of or behind
the bus and getting hit by another car,” Bower said. “They can
get their backpack caught on the bus hand rail and get injured
or
stoop to pick something up under the bus and the driver doesn’t
see them.”

Bus Safety Tips

Bill Barnett of the Pupil Transportation division of the
Georgia Department of Public Safety offers these tips for
parents
to make a safer bus trip to school:

• Get to the bus stop five minutes before the bus’s scheduled
  arrival. “Kids get hurt
  when they are rushing to catch a bus,” he said.
• Don’t play at the bus stop.
• Wait well off the road.
• Dress for the weather.
• Don’t start toward the bus until it stops completely and
  the red lights come on.
• When you get on the bus, use the handrail and take the
  steps one at a time.
• Cross in front of the bus, far enough out so the driver can
  see you.
• If you have to cross the street to get on the bus, check
  for traffic and wait for the
  bus driver to signal you to cross the road. “After the
  driver signals, check for
  traffic again before you cross the road,” Barnett
  warns.

When to Walk Alone

Another question parents often face is: When is my child
old enough to walk to school or to the bus stop alone?

“It all depends on the maturity of the child,” Bower
said.

It also depends on neighborhood safety.

“A child should not walk to school by himself younger
than age 9,” Bower said. “They should walk with an adult. But at
9 years old and up, depending on the neighborhood and the
distance to school, most mature children should be fine.”

The same can be used as a guideline for going to a bus
stop alone.

“A parent should walk with the child to school or the
bus
stop the first few times for practice,” Bower said.

Seatbelts Safer?

Seatbelts on school buses are an often-debated issue,
but
Bower says full-sized buses are very safe with or without them.
Some states require belts on buses, and the NHTSA is reviewing
these standards.

The greatest risks to children on school buses are other
cars.

The NHTSA warns that in neighborhoods, near schools and
at bus stops, drivers need to take special care because children
don’t behave like adults and may dart out into the road. Watch
carefully as children exit a school bus. And wait for the bus to
move along before driving forward.