With the kids returning to school, we’d just like to remind all of you to watch out for school buses on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 174 school-age children died in school transportation related accidents from 2003 to 2013. 119 of those students were pedestrians. While school bus transportation remains one of the safest ways to transport students to school (it keeps an estimated 17.3 million cars carrying students off the road), it’s still important to drive carefully around school buses and to watch out for children pedestrians running into the street. To keep kids safe this school year:
- Do NOT text and drive. Do not talk on your cellphone. Keeping your eyes on the road can save a life.
- Do not drive distracted. If you need to reach for something in the back or need to eat breakfast on the go, just pull over.
- Slow down. Drive the speed limit.
- Keep your distance. If you’re driving behind a school bus, be prepared for frequent stops. Also, be prepared for children walking into the street.
- Obey the school bus stop sign. Do not try to pull around a school bus with their stop sign out. Not only is this illegal, but it’s extremely dangerous.
- Accompany younger children to the bus stop. To prevent any traffic accidents or your student running out into the road, walk and wait with them at the bus stop.
- Educate children on the dangers of running into the road.