School Bus Safety Tips for Kids

Safety tips for children both on and off the bus:

• Walk, don’t run: Whether it is to the bus stop or inside of the bus, this is the number one rule that drivers encourage students to follow. Running can lead to not paying attention to your surroundings, or falling.
• Stop, look, listen: Before crossing the street, make sure the bus has come to a complete stop and the red stop sign has been extended. Look to make sure that traffic has stopped in both directions, and listen for the bus driver to signal that it is safe to cross.
• Raise your hand, don’t shout out: If a child needs to speak to the driver, they should wait until the bus has stopped and raise their hand. This will prevent them from distracting the bus driver.
• Don’t go back: Children should never attempt to re-enter the bus once he/she has stepped off. Going back for a forgotten item or trying to pick up something they dropped can be extremely dangerous, as that may put them in a blind spot where the bus driver cannot see them. Also, if they're rushing back to the bus, they're not paying attention to traffic or other hazards.
• Go straight home: Children should know to go directly home first and not stop at a friend's house, or at the park. Teach children to never talk to strangers, and to never accept rides from people they do not know.