School is back in session Wednesday and yellow school busses will stopping to pick up and drop off students on neighborhood streets all over town. State Rep. JP Sredzinski, R-112, reminds drivers to stop for red flashing lights, while keeping bus safety in mind.
“We want to do everything we can to keep school buses as the safest form of student transportation,” Sredzinski said in a news release. “As a driver, please follow posted speed limits in school zones, keep a safe following distance from a school bus and be prepared to stop on both sides of the road at railroad intersections and student pick-up/drop-off sites.”
According to the National Association for Pupil Transportation, more than 25 million children ride school buses every school day. Their top tips to parents for keeping students safe at the bus stop include:
* Have your children put everything they need to carry in their backpack or other bag so they won’t drop things along the way.
* Make sure children leave home on time to avoid running after or in front of a bus.
* If possible, provide children with bright, contrasting colored jackets and coats so they can be more easily seen by drivers.
* Encourage children to wait/walk to the bus in groups.
* Remind children to look both ways before stepping off the bus.
* Wait for children to get off the bus on the same side of the street that they will be dropped off on. They can be so excited to see you after school that they forget safety rules and dash across the street.
* Encourage children to use cell phones or other electronic devices (if permitted on the school bus) in a way that does not create distractions for the driver.
For information, visit www.napt.org.
