Safety is key on and off the school bus

An average of 20 children die every year in school bus accidents in the United States. As your children head off for school, and the weather warms up, the Houston Fire Department reminds parents to take certain precautions to keep them safe while walking or riding their bikes and waiting for buses.

School bus safety

School bus-related crashes killed 150 people nationwide in 2006, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the 10 years between 1996 and 2006, 72 percent of those who lost their lives in these types of crashes were occupants of other vehicles. Twenty percent of those killed were pedestrians or bicyclists. School bus occupants accounted for 7 percent of the deaths related to school bus accidents. For both children and parents, school bus safety is an important issue that many people overlook. It is crucial that communities know the traffic safety rules.

Below are a few simple tips that parents can teach their children to help keep them safe around buses:

• Arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick the children up.

• Always stand four giant steps back from the curb. When lining up, make the line away from the street.

• Never walk behind the bus.

• If children have to cross the street to access the door, teach them to take at least six giant steps forward on the sidewalk before turning to cross the street. That way the children and the bus driver can see each other.

• Teach children to look around them before they get on and off the bus, so as not to leave anything behind.

• Make children aware of the straps on their book bags, as well as any drawstrings that might be hanging from their clothes. These can easily get caught in the door or railings, so children need to take care to keep them secure.

• Tell children that if they do drop something near the bus, they need to tell the driver before they do anything. It is important to make sure the bus driver knows where they are at all times.

Walking and bicycling to school

Even if you don’t ride a bus to school, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young bicyclists and pedestrians face a wide variety of decision-making situations and dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips:

• Mind all traffic signals and the crossing guard — never cross the street against the light, even if you don’t see any traffic.

• Walk your bike through intersections.

• Buy a bike helmet that meets one of the safety standards (U.S. CPSC, Snell, ANSI, ASTM), and insist that your children wear the helmet each time they ride their bike. Research indicates that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent.

• Walk with a buddy.

• Wear reflective material. It makes you more visible.

Bus cancellations

Sometimes school is canceled or roads are in poor condition and cause a cancellation in bus services. Parents can be aware of this on bad weather mornings, by monitoring the radio prior sending their children off to the bus stop or school. According to the website for the Mat-Su Borough School District, the radio stations KMBQ 99.7 FM (recommended) as well as KHAR 590 AM, KENI 650 AM, KFQD 750 AM, KSKA 91.1 FM, KYMG 98.9 FM, KGOT 101.3 FM, and KWHL 106.5 FM, begin announcements at around 5 a.m., if there is a cancellation of buses or school. For more information, contact the School District’s transportation office at 373-2287.

Christian M. Hartley works for the Houston Fire Department.