School is well under way in Pennsylvania. And with school comes school buses stopping in traffic to pick up children. Unfortunately, drivers on Pennsylvania roads don’t always follow the rules of stopping behind a school bus, putting children in danger.
While you can’t control drivers that ignore school bus safety laws, you can teach your children about staying safe when getting on or off the school bus. Here are a few safety tips for school bus safety:
- Keep out of the road when waiting – Children waiting for the school bus should stay at least ten feet away from the road
- Get there early – Arriving five minutes before the bus pulls up makes sure that your children have time to stay safe while crossing the road.
- Watch for traffic – Teach your children to wait for all traffic to stop before crossing the road.
- Stay ten feet away from the outside of the bus – Children should know to avoid the “danger zone” of the bus. Staying ten feet from the bus away makes sure the bus driver can see them.
- Follow the rules of riding the bus – Your children should sit quietly, facing forward while the bus is in motion. The less distracted the driver, the better prepared he or she is to keep your children safe.
When children get on or off the school bus, the law requires drivers to stop at least ten feet away from the bus. The bus flashes red lights and extends a stop sign to enforce this. When drivers ignore this law, they put children in danger of severe injury or death.
You may not be able to control the actions of these inattentive drivers. But teaching your children the importance of safety around the bus may help prevent a tragedy.