School Bus Safety

School buses transport our most cherished passengers: children. As parents and caregivers, we must remember to teach our children proper bus etiquette and proper behavior at the bus stop. As motorists, we must always be aware that there are children everywhere waiting for school buses.

Remember, when you see the flashing red lights and the stop bar, you must stop and allow children to get on or off the bus. Here are some other tips to remember:

• School buses are one of the safest vehicles on the road.
• Most school bus incidents happen off the bus, not on the bus.
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
• When the bus approaches, stand at least five giant steps (10 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
• School buses don't have seat belts in them because they have a built-in occupant protection system known as "compartmentalization," which is a system of seat height, seat length and padding, among other requirements. Compartmentalization is like an egg carton protecting a child.