22 Life-Saving School Bus Safety Rules Every Kid Must Know

Millions of students around the world begin and end their day with travelling back and forth in a school bus. The bright yellow school buses, with large flashing lights, high back seats, and giant mirrors, keep hundreds of cars away from the school buildings every day. School buses are the safest mode of transportation for kids to get to and from school. It has been even proven that taking a bus to school is ten times safer than walking and 13 times safer than travelling in a family vehicle.

While school buses are indeed the safest way for kids to travel, injuries and mishaps can take place if they are not careful. As a parent, it is your duty to teach basic bus safety rules to your kids. For your assistance, MomJunction has jotted down some important safety rules in school bus that children of all ages must follow. Below are some tips and school bus safety rules for kids that they should follow for a safe ride.

Rules For Getting On The Bus:

1. Have your kid put everything that he requires for the school in the backpack so that he doesn’t drop things on the way. If your child is too young, then walk with him to the bus stop and wait until the bus arrives.

2. Like a good pedestrian, your kid must walk on the sidewalk. If there isn’t any sidewalk, then tell him to stay out of the street. If it’s required to walk on the street, then tell him to walk straight, face the traffic and stay close to the edge of the road.

3. You have to ensure that your kid always walks to the bus stop. He must never run. If ever you notice your kid running to the bus stop, then explain to him the repercussion in a gentle manner after he comes back from the school.

4. Tell your kid to reach the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the scheduled pick up time. Tell him to stay away from the traffic and avoid roughhousing that can lead to carelessness.

5. Instruct him strictly that he must not stray on the roads, alleys or any private property if the bus is few minutes late. He must wait for the bus at the same spot.

6. Kids must stay at least ten steps or 3 meters away from the bus to be out of the danger zone. If your kid can touch the bus, then he or she is too close to it. Warn them that they should never enter the danger zone without taking permission from the driver.

7. Kids must not speak to strangers at the bus spot. And neither should they get into the car with a stranger. Tell your child that to inform you if a stranger tries to talk to him or pick him up.

8. While waiting for the bus, he must watch for the flashing red lights and cross when the traffic has stopped. He should look left, right, and left before crossing.

9. Tell him to line up away from the road and streets as the bus approaches him. He should take aboard the bus only when it stops, and the door opens. And when boarding, he must use the handrails to avoid falls.

[ Read: Safety Rules For Kids At School ]

Behavior Inside The Bus:

10. Kids must go directly to their seats after getting on the bus. They must remain seated and face forward during the entire ride.

11. Remind your kid not to make loud noises inside the bus. His voice could even distract the driver. And the kids must be quiet when the bus is approaching a railroad crossing.

12. If your kid has to talk to the bus driver, tell him to wait until the bus stops. He can even raise his hand from the seat if he has any queries.

13. Eating and drinking (except water) are not allowed on school buses. The rule protects the students and drivers suffering from food allergies and keeps the bus clean.

14. He must not put his head, hands or arms out of the window.

15. He must keep the aisles clear of bags and books. He can place his belongings under the seat or on his lap. And before reaching the spot, he should get his belongings together.

16. He must throw wrappers, bottles or anything from the window of the bus.

17. Instruct him strictly that he should never play with the emergency exits. If any emergency arises, he must listen to the driver and follow the instructions carefully, rather than creating a ruckus in the bus.

[ Read: General Safety Rules For Children ]

Rules For Getting Off The Bus:

18. Instruct him to wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from his seat. When getting off the bus, kids should walk three more steps away from the door. It’s the best place be around the bus. Tell your kid that he must use the handrails when exiting too.

19. When exiting from the bus, he must also be careful that bag straps, drawstrings or clothing is not caught in the doors or handrails.

20. Kids must not rush or push while getting out of the bus. Children at the front must leave first.

21. If he needs to cross in front of the bus, he first has to walk at least 10 feet ahead until he can see the driver. He even has to ensure that the driver sees him. Tell him not to run between parked car and buses. Once he gets off the bus, he should go straight to the school or home.

22. If he leaves something on the bus, then he should never return to the bus to get it. It is possible that the driver may not see your kid coming towards the bus and may begin moving it. If he drops something near the bus, then tell him to inform the bus driver before attempting to pick it up.

Tell your child to get off the bus at the designated spot. If you want your kid to get off the bus somewhere else, write a note and hand over to the driver.

So discuss these simple rules with your kid to make the bus transportation a lot safer than it already is. Does your kid travel in a school bus? How did you teach him the basic school bus rules and regulations ? Share with us by commenting below!

[ Read: Road Safety Rules For Kids ]

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