While carpooling is a common practice in many communities, a school bus is the safest way for children to get to school.
Fatal crashes involving school bus occupants are extremely rare events, even though school buses serve children daily in nearly every community. Statistics show getting to and from the bus is actually more dangerous than riding the bus itself.
In the U.S., an average of 13 school-age pedestrians die in school transportation-related traffic crashes each year.
From 2000 to 2009, 130 school-age pedestrians were killed in school transportation-related crashes while 57 were occupants of school transportation vehicles. This means that more than twice as many children were killed while getting on or off the bus than while riding it.
Oct. 22-26 is National School Bus Safety Week– making it a good time to teach children how to stay safer around school buses. This year’s theme is I See the Driver. The Driver Sees Me.
“Remind your children about the 10-foot danger zone around the school bus where the driver can’t see them,” says Cherie Sage, Safe Kids Kansas. “To be sure the bus driver can see them – young children should take at least five giant steps away from the bus while entering or exiting the bus. Older kids who must cross the street should look at the bus driver for an ‘OK’ sign before crossing in front of the bus."
Kids should stand on the grass or sidewalk while waiting for the bus and not enter the street until the driver has opened the door of the bus.
