Back to School Bus Safety

This is the first year that my children will be riding the school bus. What safety rules should I teach them before school starts? - New Bus Riders
Answer: While riding school busses is very safe, the danger lies in the time before children get on the bus and after they get off. The No. 1 safety rule that children need to know is to stay out of the "danger zone." This is the 10-foot-wide area in front of and to the side of the bus. Children should never walk behind a bus because the driver will not see them. Since young children have no idea of distances, instruct them to stay five giant steps away from the bus unless it is completely stopped. You will want your young children to practice walking off this distance many times so that they clearly understand how far away they need to be from the bus.
Children of any age must learn never to retrieve anything that they drop near the bus. There is no paper, lunchbox, mitten or book that is worth a possible injury. Without thinking, many children will chase papers no matter how dangerous it is.
The Ryder Student Transportation Services also advises parents to teach their children these bus-safety rules:
-Be at the bus stop several minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
-Wait for the bus in a safe place, clear of traffic and away from where the bus stops.
-Avoid horseplay while waiting for the bus.
-Never chase a bus after it has pulled away from the bus stop.
-When it is necessary to cross the street upon leaving the bus, walk at least 10 feet (five giant steps) from the bus to the shoulder of the road and remain there until given a signal by the driver that it is safe to cross.
-When entering the bus, go directly to an available or assigned seat. Remain seated and face forward at all times while the bus is moving.
-Do not extend your hands, elbows or head through the windows or throw or pass objects to someone outside the bus.
For more information on bus safety and a safety game, families can visit the National Highway Traffic Administration Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.