Back to School: Bus Stop Safety Tips

All parents whose children take the bus to school want to ensure they will arrive safely. However, there can be times when safety becomes an issue, especially at bus stops. Here are some tips to guarantee your child will be safe not only walking to the bus stop, but before and after the bus arrives.

• Children should be told not to run to catch any bus. Leaving early will avoid missing the bus and any chance of a child falling because they are in a hurry.
• Stay well away from the curb when standing at a bus stop.
• When walking to the bus stop with other children, do not play or run around in the street.
• All children under 12 should be accompanied by another adult or older sibling when walking to the bus stop. In addition, waiting with the child until they safely board the school bus is recommended.
• Children should be told not to talk to any strangers at the bus stop.
• Children should be warned that if anyone in a car stops and calls them over, they should run away screaming.
• Children who are approached by anyone for any reason should report the incident to the bus driver.
• Children should be told not to shove other kids onto the bus. Board the bus slowly and in a single file.

The fact that schools do not take responsibility until the moment the children boards the school bus is a major factor in ensuring the child is safe before arriving to school. In addition, in some states where children are picked up by school buses, care has to be taken to avoid any injury to the child.

Oftentimes buses stop in the middle of a street, double-park, or stop away from a child’s home. Children should be told to look both ways before boarding the bus in these instances since some school buses have the automated stop sign which signal other vehicles to stop, and others do not.

These bus safety tips are just some ways in which children need to be made aware of situations which may occur when waiting for the school bus to arrive.