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Public School
Transportation Issues
School Bus Violence
& Safety
PSPN
The National Education Association opens it's
web page on School Buses and Safety by acknowledging that
the school bus is a mirror of the community.
Unfortunately, what appears on the exterior of any chosen
community does not necessarily reflect the families and more
specifically the children living there. For many
parents the school bus has become a necessary evil.
Bus stops have become hangouts where children are totally
vulnerable and unsupervised. The bus ride has become a
potentially volatile situation where 20 to 30 children are
placed within a confined space, with limited supervision,
and very little protection. Our school bus
drivers are placed in the precarious position of delivering
our children to and from school safely in the midst of pure
chaos. If this description sounds like a time bomb,
then brace yourselves for the explosion that inevitably is
going to happen without reform of a system that is simply
not working.
Today's
headlines have proven that the threat of children with
weapons are very real. There is no such thing as
childhood scuffles in this day and age. Episodes of
violence in schools have become brutal in nature with deadly
consequences. When you take a group of unsupervised
children and add into the equation cultural insensitivities,
prejudices, sexual harassment, bullying and gang involvement, it becomes quite obvious that parental fears
regarding their children's safety are very real and quite
valid. With minimal supervision policies in
place, opportunities abound for confrontations to get
out of hand. For education administrators to expect a bus driver to
concentrate on the road while monitoring a disturbance at
the back of the bus is unreasonable and the feat, ... impossible.
The question of the day becomes: How can we ensure student
safety in public educations transportation systems?
The reality of
the situation is that parental involvement may be the most
cost effective and readily implemented opportunity for
improvement. The mere presence of an adult in a
supervisory capacity goes a long way to subdue thoughts of
misconduct among students. In a educational
system where dollars seem to be perpetually depleted, parent
monitors may just be
an option worth consideration and discussion.
School bus safety:
Parents Can Help
Look Smart Education:
Knowledge for Parents
Pediatrics for Parents, Sept,
2003 by
Christine Ridout
Approximately 47% of public school
students ride a school bus to and from
school every day. But how safe are
school buses and how safe is your child
riding one?
School Transportation News -
From Head Start to Special
Needs transportation and
everything in between. Full of information,
contacts
and more!
National
Safety Council:
Back
to
School Safety
Tips
Riding the
Bus
School bus transportation is safe. In fact, buses are
safer than cars! Even so, last year, approximately 26
students were killed and another 9,000 were injured in
incidents involving school buses. More often than not,
these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as
the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember
these safety tips:
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Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from
traffic and the street.
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Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete
stop and the driver signals you to enter.
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When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten
giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance
between you and the bus. Also, remember that the bus
driver can see you best when you are back away from the
bus. |
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Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
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Stay away from the bus until the driver gives
his/her signal that it's okay to approach.
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Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers
are required to follow certain rules of the road
concerning school buses, however, not all do. Protect
yourself and watch out!
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CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE "DANGER ZONES" AROUND A BUS.
Check out the National Safety Council's Fact Sheet on
School Bus Safety Rules.
Happy School Bus, Inc.
- promotes school bus safety for students.
Joe's School Bus Page
- links to everything school bus related:
school
districts, contractors, manufacturers, state and federal
government,
and more.
National Coalition for School Bus Safety
NHTSA: School Bus Safety
- events, programs and materials promoting safety.
School Bus Driver
- by, about, and for school bus drivers.
School Bus Fleet Magazine
- information for the pupil transportation industry
including school bus fleet and pupil management, surveys
and
industry statistics, and online discussion forums.
The
School Bus Yard- source for photos and information on the North American
school bus industry.
School Transportation News
- monthly newsmagazine reporting
yellow school bus
developments, school bus safety, transporting students
with disabilities, Head Start transportation.
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