Colonel
Paul McClellanThe familiar sight of yellow buses back on Ohio’s roadways signals the beginning of another school year. Throughout the entire school year, there are special concerns that need to be considered when sharing the roads with school buses.
Children, motorists, and parents need to be made aware of the possible dangers both inside and around a school bus and how to avoid them. While school buses remain the safest mode of travel on Ohio roadways, school bus crashes do occur. In 2004, there were three crashes resulting in three motorist fatalities and a total of 2,067 crashes involving school buses around Ohio. In all three fatalities, motorists driving the other vehicle were at fault.
Each year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol observes National School Bus Safety Week, this year the dates are from October 16 through 22. This year’s theme, “Flashing Red Means Stop Ahead,” reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. Motorists approaching from either direction are required to stop at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus until the bus resumes motion. If a school bus is stopped on a road divided into four or more lanes, only traffic driving in the same direction as the bus must stop.
Motorists can do their part by starting to think about school bus safety the moment the vehicle is started. When backing out of a garage or driveway, watch for children walking to the school bus. Many times children who are walking or riding their bicycle are paying more attention to getting to school and less attention to their personal safety.
Students should arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up. While waiting for the bus, they should stand at least three giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Before stepping into the bus, children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver gives permission.
Parents should encourage their children to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver’s instructions on school bus safety. When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.
Passengers should always walk in front of the bus when they must cross a street to get on or off the bus. Children should walk far enough in front of the bus that they can see the bus driver, which is about 10 feet ahead of the bus, should never walk behind a school bus, and stay at least three feet away from the side of a bus.
With the cooperation of motorists, parents, and children, we can all help make the bus ride to and from school as safe as possible for our children, and make this a safe school year throughout Ohio.
For additional information on National School Bus Safety Week, please visit the National Association for Pupil Transportation Web site at www.napt.org.