School Buses = SLOW DOWN! James F. Hamburge
President, Pacelli Catholic School
Labor Day arrives on Monday; Schools begin on Tuesday; School Buses return daily! It’s a national ritual! Right after Labor Day and just before the leaves show their color, school buses return to the roads to deliver society’s children to another year of academic classes, athletic contests, Christmas concerts, and their monthly fire drill practices. The air is filled with excitement, the halls are buzzing, and teachers arranging their desks in alphabetical order. The above paragraph contains one extraordinary irony. When we are driving around town, we will see schools practicing their annual fire drills, yet never in the history of American education has any student ever died in a fire at school! Yet, every year there will be
many children all across this country who will be killed in accidents involving cars and school buses! Perhaps, the real annual practices should involve the motor vehicles on the road and their drivers? We were all taught that wherever a ball rolls across the street, a child is soon to follow. T h u s , we were taught to a l w a y s slow down when they see a ball rolling in the street. I wish drivers would show that same concern for safety and for children when they see a school bus, because it’s a almost a 100% guarantee that children are connected with the school bus! As drivers on our way to work or on our way to buy groceries, we must remember whenever we
see a school bus, SLOW DOWN! When the school bus stops to pick up a child in the morning or drop them off in the afternoon, there are flashing lights in the front and back of the bus; there is also an arm with a stop sign that comes out on the side of the bus. All cars, regardless of their direction M U S T come to a stop! Please do so for the well being of all children! Not only is it the LAW; but it is also a LIFE! Plus, we know that the smaller the child, the more likely that child will go in the wrong direction, especially during the first month of the school year! School buses are required by law to stop at all rail road crossings and open their entry
doors so the driver can look down the tracks before closing the door and proceeding on their route. Sure it takes a little time, but done correctly, it also saves lives! There is no one who is in such a hurry that putting a child’s life at risk matters more than the their deadline! This school year please SLOW DOWN when you see a school bus coming to a stop. We will be practicing bus safety in our schools next week. However, no matter how hard or how well we practice with the children, their lives are mostly in your hands when your hands are on the wheel. When you drive with caution when you see a school bus, remember you will also help save more lives than all the fire drills have saved in the history of our country! Everyone in education thanks you for caring about all of our children!
SAFETY TIPS FOR SCHOOL BUS RIDERS • Wait for the bus in a safe location that is away from traffic, ideally staying in a designated school bus stop until the bus arrives. • Dress for optimal visibility, especially in inclement weather when it can be difficult for the school bus driver and other motorists to see pedestrians. • Do not board the bus until it comes to a complete stop. Wait for the driver to open the door, which engages the “Stop” sign for oncoming motorists. • Use the handrail and enter the bus in an orderly manner. • Promptly find a seat, sit down and buckle the safety belt if there is one available. Students assigned seats on the bus should take their seat without making a fuss. • Keep arms, hands, legs, and heads inside of the bus at all times.
• Keep backpacks and other belongings out of the center aisle. Store them under your seat or on your lap. • Remain seated at all times while the bus is in motion. • Always follow the driver’s instructions and avoid situations that will cause driver distraction. • Wait for the bus to stop completely before standing up or attempting to exit. • Exit the bus in an orderly manner, without pushing fellow passengers. • Only cross the street in front of the bus. It is very difficult for the driver to see students crossing behind the bus. • Wait for the driver to check traffic before crossing the street and be on the lookout for inattentive motorists.