School Bus Safety Rules

Local schools offer school bus transportation services to millions of children every day. For parents anywhere, entrusting millions of young lives to strangers should be quite nerve-wracking – and it should be. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there is no cause for concern.

School buses are the safest vehicles on the road for transporting our children to school. In fact, they say children are 70 times more likely to get to school safely than riding in a private car. The main reason for this is that they are the most regulated vehicles on the road – and more regulations are being created to make it safer for our children.

Despite all the safety regulations, the lives of our children are in the hands of the bus drivers. And as parents, I know we still can’t help but worry about the safety of our own children. To help ease these fears, the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, the NHTSA, and the National Safety Council have given us these safety rules to teach our kids and remind their drivers to keep them away from danger.

School Bus Safety Rules for Children

While at the Bus Stop

• Make sure you arrive early at the bus stop – at least five minutes before the bus schedule.
• While waiting for the bus to arrive, stay away from the curb. Wait at a safe distance – about three giant steps – from the curb.
• When with a parent, make sure you’re standing beside your parent.
• Don’t go running around, especially on the street. Avoid roughhousing or any reckless behavior.

Getting on the School Bus

• Form a queue a few feet away from the street. Maintain that line until the bus arrives.
• Make sure the bus has come to a full stop and the doors are fully open before you approach the street and board the bus.
• No pushing and roughhousing while standing in line.
• Be patient. Don’t rush the persons in front and wait until it’s your turn to board the bus.
• Hold on to the handrails while boarding the bus.

How to Act While Inside the Bus

• Find a seat that you’re comfortable with and stay there. Don’t make too much noise to avoid distracting the driver.
• Never stick your head or hand out the window, especially when seated behind the driver’s side.
• Place your bags or books underneath your seat or on the overhead compartment (if any) to clear the aisles.
• When you’re near the school, prepare to go down by gathering all your books and belongings.
• Wait until your bus comes to a full stop before getting up from your seat.
• When the bus has stopped completely, start heading to the front of the bus to go down.

Getting Off the School Bus

• Wait for your turn to disembark. Do not push the person in front of you just to make them go more quickly.
• Stay away from the wheels of the bus. Do not stand on the rear side of the bus.
• If you have to cross the street, do it while in front of the bus. Walk along the side of the road at least ten feet away from the front of the bus or to the nearest pedestrian/zebra crossing.
• Make sure you can see the driver from your position and that the driver can see you.
  Wait for the bus driver’s signal to cross the street. If there are other kids with you, make sure you cross with the other kids.
• When the driver gives the signal to cross, walk across the street briskly but without running. Always keep an eye out for incoming vehicles.
• Stop at the centerline of the road. Wait for the driver’s go-ahead that it is safe to cross the road again.

Safety Tips for Crossing the Street

• Always cross the street at the pedestrian crossing/children crossing zone. But only do so when the bus driver or crossing guard gives the signal that it’s okay to cross.
• When traffic lights are present, cross only when the light for pedestrians is green or when the little green man is walking.
• Look to the left, then right, then left again before you cross. This is to make sure that there are no incoming cars.
• When there are cars blocking your view as you look left and right, move away a few feet from the parked car until you can see the road again.
• As you cross the street, continue looking left then right.

School Bus Safety Rules for Bus Drivers

• Walk around while also looking under the bus for children or animals that hiding under your vehicle before you get in.
• When backing out, check to see if the coast is clear. Take a look through your rearview mirrors to make sure no one is there when you back out. Be extra cautious of children that are walking or riding their bicycles to school.
• Turn on your hazards to alert incoming traffic that you’re backing up.
• Drive carefully especially when driving through neighborhoods. These are places where many children, and even pets, may cross the road out of nowhere.
• Always prepare for the worst possible scenarios. Be ready with a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, and some medicine for allergies, pain relief, or motion sickness.
• Learn all the state laws that apply to school buses.
• When out on a field trip, instruct the children to go by pair. Have them select someone to be their buddy for the entire trip.
• Always remind children about the safety rules while on and near the bus.

We Make Safety Our Priority

Just like our school buses, Chicago Motor Coach has also implemented different bus safety rules to make riding with us as safe and comfortable as possible. Our drivers have been trained and instructed to prioritize the safety and welfare of all our passengers – especially the kids! That is why Chicago Motor Coach, Inc. is one of the most referred Bus Rental Companies in the Chicagoland Area, focused on group transportation.

We are located in Elk Grove Village, IL. For further questions, please contact us at 847-260-9797. Let us know how we can help you.