How To Keep Maine Children Safe On School Buses

If it's not already happening, it will be soon; kids all over Maine will head back to school over the next couple of weeks.

While many families have been working to gather school supplies and get back into a normal sleep schedule, many often overlook a very important part of preparing to return to academic life: school bus safety.

Maine has seen a handful of fatal school bus accidents in the last year, so it's more important than ever to have these conversations with kids now, before they even board a bus.

Experts say there are two factors to think about when it comes to school bus safety: the kids and the adults (drivers).

Here are some important bus safety reminders for families to go over as kids head back to school.

1.) Students should stay in their seats, facing forward, and try not to do anything too distracting.

Most kids are used to riding in vehicles wearing seatbelts and remaining strapped into a seat; riding on a school bus is a very different experience.

Talking with kids about how to be a good passenger when they're unplugged is important. Parents should remind them that just because they are not belted does not mean they should move about the bus when it's in motion.

Activities like crawling and climbing above or below bus seats, and even standing up or turning around to talk to a kid in the seat behind them are considered dangerous activities when a bus is traveling down the road.

Whether it's younger or older students participating in such behavior, seasoned drivers agree it's distracting-and that's when things can become unsafe.

If drivers are distracted by unruly activity behind them, it's hard to watch out for what's in front of them.

Bus drivers say it's imperative that students understand that they need to remain seated and quiet while riding the bus.

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2.) Respect the space around you; keep it clean and orderly.

An unfortunate trend of kids causing damage or making messes on the bus has become another distracting challenge drivers face.

Reminding kids not to write on seats, tear fabric, leave garbage on the bus, or stick chewing gum under the bus seats will not only help prolong the life of the bus, but it will also prevent bus drivers from having to double as janitors, which they're not getting paid extra to do.

3.) Be aware of your surroundings when waiting for the bus and getting on and off of the bus.

Bus stops are often where excited kids gather to board the bus at the beginning of the day or exit the bus at the end.

Sometimes, when kids have a bad case of the distracted wiggles, those spots can become dangerous if students and drivers are not paying attention.

Making sure kids know to stay in their designated spaces, away from the roadway, and to check both ways before crossing the street in front of a bus can be life-saving.

Many of the drivers we spoke with reported an uptick in distracted driving over the last couple of years. When people are distracted and/or impatient, they put lives in danger.
Read More: 5 Things Maine Families Should Do Before School Starts

While the law states that drivers must come to a complete stop when a school bus has its flashing lights and sign out, some people disregard that and still try to go around.

School Bus Safety

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[/caption]Most buses are now equipped with cameras, so drivers caught violating the laws will be held responsible for their actions.

4.) Teach kids the best places to get on and off the bus, and where their specific stop is.

The Bus Runner Page on Facebook suggests talking to children about "safe zones". These are the best places to enter and exit the bus and where to cross; parents also need to make sure kids know where their stop is.

School Bus Safety Zone, The Bus Runner via Facebook

They say every child who rides the bus should know their home address, or at the very least have it written down and kept in a backpack or lunchbox.

5.) It's everyone's job to know the rules of the road.

The Student Transportation of America says motorists, not just parents and students, have a responsibility to review the rules.

Drivers should know what the different colored lights mean.

"Flashing yellow lights mean the bus is preparing to stop. Slow down and be ready to stop. Flashing red lights and an extended stop arm mean students are getting on or off. Stop and wait — it’s the law. Stay alert in school zones and neighborhoods, especially during pickup and drop-off times."

School Bus Safety Tips, Student Transport Of America via Facehook

Bottom Line:

Taking time now to review these important safety tips, then practicing them and following up after a month or so will help your child keep good bus etiquette in the forefront of their mind, and hopefully keep them out of harm's way in the long run, too.