Back to School...Safely!
You wouldn't know it from the temperatures, but it's almost time for school again! Back to school for your kids means new books, new challenges, and maybe some new friends. But for you, their parents, it's renewed concerns about many things--like safety. At Safety4Kids, every season brings new opportunities to remind parents of the precautions they should take and the time they should spend teaching their kids certain fundamental safety lessons. I'm not being melodramatic when I say that knowing these things is often the difference between life and death. We have only the news every day to remind us what happens when simple precautions are not followed.
Take school bus safety, for instance. More and more, people are becoming concerned about seat belts in school buses. This is a hot topic, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety has taken a strong stand, advocating for seat belts to be installed in school buses. While the statistics concerning school bus related fatalities are not numerically overwhelming, any measure that prevents accidents, particularly related to children, is certainly worth examining. The theory is that because most school buses do not have seat belts, it's negative reinforcement. "If my school bus doesn't have them, why should I have to buckle up in the car?" This is not the message we want our children to get, and it's certainly not the message we are working to convey at Safety4Kids.
The North Carolina School Bus Safety website has some valuable tips for you and your kids. We've reprinted them here, to make it easy for you, but I urge you to visit their website and others for more information; there is a great article on WebMD about this very topic. Please take a moment to review these simple rules with your kids. It could make back-to-school less of a worry for you!
Walking to the Bus Stop
Always walk on the sidewalk to the bus stop, never run. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left facing traffic.
Go to the bus stop about five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. While at the bus stop, wait quietly in a safe place well away from the road. Do not run and play while waiting.
Getting On and Off the Bus
Enter the bus in line with younger students in front. Hold the handrail while going up and down the stairs
When entering the bus, go directly to a seat. Remain seated and face forward during the entire ride.
Riding the Bus
Always speak quietly on the bus so the driver will not be distracted. Always be silent when a bus comes to a railroad crossing so the driver can hear if a train is coming.
Never throw things on the bus or out the windows. Keep the aisles clear at all times. Feet should be directly in front of you on the floor and book bags should be kept on your lap. Large instruments or sports equipment should not block the aisle or emergency exits.
Never play with the emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
Hands should be kept to yourself at all times while riding on the bus. Fighting and picking on others creates a dangerous bus ride.
Exiting the Bus
If you leave something on the bus, never return to the bus to get it. The driver may not see you come back and she may begin moving the bus. Make sure that drawstrings and other loose objects are secure before getting off the bus so that the do not get caught on the handrail or the door.
Respect the "Danger Zone" which surrounds all sides of the bus. The "Danger Zone" is ten feet wide on all sides of the bus. Always remain 10 steps away from the bus to be out of the "Danger Zone" and where the driver can see you.
Always cross the street in front of the bus. Never go behind the bus. If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before you attempt to pick it up, so they will know where you are.
Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger. Always go straight home and tell your parents if a stranger tries to talk to you or pick you up.
Please post a comment and let us know how you feel about seat belts in school buses. It's an important issue and we look forward to your thoughts!
If you're interested in more information about back to school topics, by age, please visit our partners at Parenting magazine. They have some comprehensive information that I'm sure you'll find useful. And we've got a helpful, downloadable document, prepared by one of our regular contributors, Dr. Bruce Bonanno of the American College of Emergency Physicians, that covers some very important topics like medical forms and "safe" backpacks. You'll find it HERE. And USA Weekend is running a special article this weekend featuring some of SeeMore's Playhouse advisors, offering important tips about the safety, health and well being of your kids. Check it out!
We hope you and your kids have a smooth and safe transition back to school!
(c) iStock International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(c) Willaume Gautier. Image from BigStockPhoto.com.
Take school bus safety, for instance. More and more, people are becoming concerned about seat belts in school buses. This is a hot topic, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. The National Coalition for School Bus Safety has taken a strong stand, advocating for seat belts to be installed in school buses. While the statistics concerning school bus related fatalities are not numerically overwhelming, any measure that prevents accidents, particularly related to children, is certainly worth examining. The theory is that because most school buses do not have seat belts, it's negative reinforcement. "If my school bus doesn't have them, why should I have to buckle up in the car?" This is not the message we want our children to get, and it's certainly not the message we are working to convey at Safety4Kids.The North Carolina School Bus Safety website has some valuable tips for you and your kids. We've reprinted them here, to make it easy for you, but I urge you to visit their website and others for more information; there is a great article on WebMD about this very topic. Please take a moment to review these simple rules with your kids. It could make back-to-school less of a worry for you!
Walking to the Bus Stop
Always walk on the sidewalk to the bus stop, never run. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left facing traffic.
Go to the bus stop about five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. While at the bus stop, wait quietly in a safe place well away from the road. Do not run and play while waiting.
Getting On and Off the Bus
Enter the bus in line with younger students in front. Hold the handrail while going up and down the stairs
When entering the bus, go directly to a seat. Remain seated and face forward during the entire ride.Riding the Bus
Always speak quietly on the bus so the driver will not be distracted. Always be silent when a bus comes to a railroad crossing so the driver can hear if a train is coming.
Never throw things on the bus or out the windows. Keep the aisles clear at all times. Feet should be directly in front of you on the floor and book bags should be kept on your lap. Large instruments or sports equipment should not block the aisle or emergency exits.
Never play with the emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
Hands should be kept to yourself at all times while riding on the bus. Fighting and picking on others creates a dangerous bus ride.
Exiting the Bus
If you leave something on the bus, never return to the bus to get it. The driver may not see you come back and she may begin moving the bus. Make sure that drawstrings and other loose objects are secure before getting off the bus so that the do not get caught on the handrail or the door.
Respect the "Danger Zone" which surrounds all sides of the bus. The "Danger Zone" is ten feet wide on all sides of the bus. Always remain 10 steps away from the bus to be out of the "Danger Zone" and where the driver can see you.
Always cross the street in front of the bus. Never go behind the bus. If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver before you attempt to pick it up, so they will know where you are.
Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger. Always go straight home and tell your parents if a stranger tries to talk to you or pick you up.Please post a comment and let us know how you feel about seat belts in school buses. It's an important issue and we look forward to your thoughts!
If you're interested in more information about back to school topics, by age, please visit our partners at Parenting magazine. They have some comprehensive information that I'm sure you'll find useful. And we've got a helpful, downloadable document, prepared by one of our regular contributors, Dr. Bruce Bonanno of the American College of Emergency Physicians, that covers some very important topics like medical forms and "safe" backpacks. You'll find it HERE. And USA Weekend is running a special article this weekend featuring some of SeeMore's Playhouse advisors, offering important tips about the safety, health and well being of your kids. Check it out!
We hope you and your kids have a smooth and safe transition back to school!
(c) iStock International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(c) Willaume Gautier. Image from BigStockPhoto.com.
12 Comments:
I've gone back and forth about seat belts in school buses. On the one hand, it seems to go without saying that if we require seat belts in cars, they should also be required on buses.
But on the other hand, does having kids in seat belts hamper rescues in situations where it's important to get them out fast? That's what I'm not sure about.
Public buses don't have seat belts and it's not often that I hear reports of problems with them. Are there any published studies that lean one way or the other?
I've always felt that kids on buses should wear seat belts. It's a confusing contradiction that everyone needs to buckle up in the car but kids can bounce around a school bus without a safety belt. What kind of mixed message does that send to our children? They don't understand statistics. More than once my child has said to me, "Why do I always have to wear my seatbelt in the car? I don't have to wear it on the bus!" How is a parent supposed to answer that?
Sure I think buses should have seat belts. But I also think bus stops should have community appointed guardians. It's scary these days to watch your child walk to the bus stop in the dark sometimes and then listen to the news reports of kids getting stolen or harassed. It is a challenge to keep our kids safe. I am so grateful for this blog --even if it's to remind me of things I already know.
I think Seat belts are important on buses, how many times have kids gotten hurt by the bus stopping short, or whatnot. I also believe that besides the bus driver each bus should have an attendant that enforces the rules of riding a bus. It can not be safe at all to have a bus driver monitoring the behavior of children in the back of the bus. So many bus safety issues.
I like the idea of the community appointed guardians Mom of borg brought up. When my sons were younger I always walked them to the bus and even fought for (and won) the pickup be changed to a safer area.
I agree with the need for seatbelts in school buses. We've seen enough video in recent years of kids going flying around the cavern of a school bus when things go wrong.
Having said that, my sons are grown now and spent years taking school buses and, fortunately, there was never an argument about having to wear a seatbelt in our vehicle despite not having one in the school bus.
Aside from this issue, I think this blog is great. I wish I'd had such clear, concise information when my boys were growing up.
This is such a great blog! I have been reading it for a few weeks now. Chock full of helpful info for us parents.
I was compelled to share my thoughts about seat belts on buses, because I have been an advocate for this for a LONG time.
My kids no longer ride the bus, but the entire time they did I was worried that something horrible would happen. I really think that school buses should be manufactured with seat belts from this day forward. We wouldn't drive our cars without them anymore. What makes buses that much different?
Thanks for listening. And, thanks for this blog!
I think all newly manufactured buses should have seat belts, but I'm not convinced that existing buses should be retro-fitted.
The one huge safety improvement in buses around here was the addition of that long arm that swings out when the bus stops, so that the kids don't run the risk of not being seen by the driver as they cross in front of the bus.
The studies i've seen say that safety belts don't make school buses any safer....sometimes I worry that we're going to regulate ourselves to death!
in my area, the problem is that kids don't take the bus at all....so they're 80% empty....everyone insists on driving their kids to school, putting more cars on the road, and then that adds to danger.
I saw video in a CNN report on school bus safety that was taken DURING a school bus accident. The kids looked like frisbees, flying all over the place. Two bounced up to the roof and hit their necks. I can't recall how many children died or were only injured in that crash, but it was a large number. It could all have been avoided with seat belts.
I saw that same video that Missylynn spoke of, it was unreal. I think we should have seat belts on our buses. Seems kids these days are so used to buckling up, it's a no brainer but along with that safety feature we need experienced and safe bus drivers as well!
I belive that seat belts can only help in an accident. We had a very bad accident here in my county (where I drove a school bus). A bit semi hit a bus from behind. There were only about 6 or 7 kids left on the bus. 3 of those kids got flung out of the bus (out the back door) & into the street. Those kids were VERY badly injured & still suffer daily from those injuries. The few that were left on the bus were also serioulsy injured from being tossed around on the bus.
Although, the bus driver was also thrown out the front door & she was seatbelted.
As a former driver of a school bus, I can easily see both sides of the issue. But, I do belive that seatbelts will save lives in most circumstanses.
Also, here in Florida ALL NEWLY ORDERED school busses must have tinted windows, air conditioning & seat belts. Im not sure when this law came about, but it has.
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