Back to school bus safety

August 24, 4:19 PMVirginia Beach Stay-at-Home Moms ExaminerPamela Fierro

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School will be starting soon, and the big yellow school buses will again be crisscrossing Virginia Beach streets in full force. For the many Virginia Beach students who ride a bus to school, it is an extremely safe and efficient mode of transportation. But there are some basic safety guidelines that kids to need to follow. Implement these suggestions for your family and review them with your kids before school starts.

Know before you go

• Familiarize yourself and your child with your neighborhood bus stop and the route that your child’s bus will take to school. Be sure that your child can identify their bus stop by sight and by name. They should know the name of the street and the nearest cross street, as well as their home address. Finally, make sure they know the name of their school.

• Review information about the bus. Teach kids their bus number and the name of the driver, if known.

• Dress kids in bright, contrasting colors so that they are easily visible to drivers. Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or straps that could become caught in the bus doors.

• Pack all items into a backpack or bag that is easily carried to the bus; it reduces the risk that a child will drop or lose something.

On the way

• Accompany younger children to the bus stop and wait with them until the bus arrives. Meet the bus at the stop at the end of the day and accompany children back to the house.

• Continue to monitor the bus stop until your kids are developmentally able to behave safely without you. They should be able to remain focused and have enough self control to not dash into the street. They should be able to comprehend the danger of moving vehicles and judge vehicle speed or distance. They should be able to remain in view of the bus without being reminded.

• Give yourself plenty of time to get to the bus stop. Rushing to the bus stop increases the risk of accidents by making kids more likely to run or dart into the street.

At the bus stop

• Remind children to wait out of the street, on the curb or sidewalk, until the bus comes to a complete stop and extends its stop sign. That directs any oncoming traffic to stop and  indicates it is safe to proceed towards the bus.

• Experts recommend a 10-foot rule: remaining at least 10 feet (or 5 giant steps for kids) out of the way of traffic.

• Discourage horseplay at the bus stop; running or chasing around can lead to kids darting into the street.

Boarding the bus

• Remind kids to look for the driver’s face before crossing, making sure the driver sees them approach. It also ensures that they remain a safe distance from the bus until it comes to a complete stop. They can’t see the driver’s face if they are too close to the bus.

• If crossing the street is necessary, cross out ahead of the bus by 10 feet. Many Virginia Beach city school buses have an extending arm that directs students in a safe path in front of the bus.

• Teach kids to look left-right-left when crossing a street to make sure oncoming traffic is following the laws and stopping for the bus.

• Never bend down to pick up something that is dropped in front of or under the bus. Instead, instruct children to let the bus driver or another adult know the problem so they can help.

• Remind children to always stay clear of the wheels of the school bus.

On the bus

• Teach children to never hang out the bus windows or reach out the window. They should never throw items out of the bus windows.

• Review bus etiquette and courtesy. Remind students to greet the bus driver and thank them when disembarking. Students should keep hands to themselves and speak in quiet voices when riding the bus.

The bus stop is the most dangerous part of the ride to school. On average, ten student pedestrians are killed every year. According to the National Highway Transportation and Safety Agency most bus mishaps involve children between the ages of five and seven who are hit by the bus or motorists passing a stopped bus. Following these safety recommendations will help your family ensure that the school bus is a safe and fun way for children to travel to school.