Indian Lake students help younger pupils practice safely evacuating a bus. (Indian Lake Schools Photo)
Local school districts are celebrating Bus Safety Week throughout this week by offering special drills for students and issuing reminders for motorists to ensure a safe commute to and from school.
This year’s theme is “BEEP, BEEP – School Bus Safety Starts with Me.”
More than 800,000 Ohio students ride on school buses each day, and nearly 15,000 bus drivers, mechanics, secretaries, and supervisors statewide are dedicated to providing safe transportation for Ohio children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also reports that students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car.
Ohio law requires motorists to stop clear of the school bus until the bus driver cancels the red lights and the bus begins to move.
“In a time where we have so many distractions, we plead with you to stay alert during the times students are being picked up and dropped off,” Bellefontaine City Schools Transportation Supervisor Tammie Garman said.
“By law, bus drivers must activate their warning lights 300 feet prior to a bus stop where children are standing, thus giving all ample time to slow for the stop. Try to think that on that bus sits your child or grandchild and your hope is that they are always safe and out of harm’s way.”
Benjamin Logan Superintendent John Scheu and Transportation Director Brenda Fahle noted that more than 900 students ride one of the 25 Benjamin Logan bus routes and the total daily miles driven is 1,846. Benjamin Logan is the 16th largest district by square mileage in Ohio, covering 220 square miles.
“Ensuring the safety of our students is crucial,” the district officials said. “We train our drivers to be cautious, but we need help from parents to make sure children remain alert and mindful of good safety practices.”
Studies show that students are often injured approaching or leaving the bus. The Benjamin Logan transportation department offers the following tips to remind children while getting on and off the bus:
• Get to the bus stop early and wait at your designated place of safety.
• Approach and enter the bus after the driver signals.
• Take 10 giant steps away from the bus when unloading.
• Always follow the driver’s directions for how to cross the street.
• Be alert to traffic and look both ways.
• If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus.
Indian Lake Schools students also received a refresher on how to ride and evacuate safely, if necessary. District bus drivers recently reviewed bus safety rules and procedures with students before getting off the bus at school.
They practiced how to open the emergency doors and windows, how to evacuate the bus from the side and rear exits and how to help others safely exit as well. The older students enjoyed helping the younger kids hop out of the back entrance.
Earlier this month, Indian Lake bus drivers reminded elementary students how to safely board the bus, ride the bus, exit the bus and, if necessary, cross the street in a special session just for ILES kids.
They also reviewed expected bus behaviors so that every student can be in the Laker Zone on the bus.
