Scope of RFID School Bus Tracking Systems in Security Measures at Schools

Nancy was a smart girl. She belonged to an upper middle-class family. Every day, without fail, her mother collected Nancy after her school bus drops her at the bus stop. One day, it so happened that Nancy’s grandmother fell ill and in the ensuing hassle, her mother forgot to pick her up from the bus stop. By the time her mother realized this and reached the bus stop, Nancy went missing.

It was a depressing situation for the whole family. Luckily her id card was embedded with an RFID tag. Combined with school bus tracking system, the tag helped the police officials to trace her whereabouts.

She was being carried to a far off place by a stranger. Nancy was rescued by the police officials and was handed over to her mother safely. The stranger who abducted Nancy later confessed that, he did that for ransom.

Around the globe, children are subjected to lots of such atrocities. Parents around the world are always concerned about such  dangers. The only way to escape danger is to prevent them. Technology has brought with it a lot of possibilities to do that.

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RFID school bus tracking system is a smart technological invention that has gifted parents with added confidence. With RFID, ensuring the safety of your loved ones has become easier.

Know about Automatic Identification

Automatic Identification, known as auto-ID for short, is a term given to the technology that is used to help machines in order to identify people or object.

Automatic data capture is often coupled with auto identification. It is an all-rounder that identifies items, gains information about them and transfers the collected data into computer without the involvement of the employees.

The system is mainly used in order to collect error-free data.  The system increases efficiency and makes staff members available for other functions resulting in more productivity.

Bar codes, smart cards, voice recognition, some biometric technologies, optical character recognition, and radio frequency identification (RFID) are the technologies that fall under the shade of auto-ID umbrella.

What is RFID?

Radio frequency identification or RFID for short is the broad term given to the technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify people or objects.

What is RFID

Identification can be made by a number of methods, but the normal method is to store a serial number that identifies a person or object on a microchip that is attached to an antenna (the chip and the antenna together are called an RFID transponder or an RFID tag).

The chip transmits the identification information to a reader. The antenna enables the chip to transmit the information. The radio waves reflected back from the RFID tag is converted into digital information that can then be passed on to computers for utilizing it efficiently.

Scope of RFID in schools

The worse nightmare a parent can have is losing their child. However, a little care can make a lot of difference. RFID tags are already attached to a lot of products we buy.

Using it with the id card of your child can fetch a lot of benefits. RFID can be equipped for the simple reason that it lets the parents have peace of mind.

• Automatically checking the attendance details of children

Checking the attendance details of children manually requires a lot of time and energy.

With RFID school bus tracking system, the details are automatically entered. The accurate attendance details can thus be obtained.

• Parents or guardians get notified about children’s activities/whereabouts automatically and on time 

The activities of the children are notified to the parents without fail. Performance tracking is possible that can result in the over-all development of the child. RFID tag helps in removing uncertainty.

• Can be used in library and canteen

The tag can be used for making things like borrowing books from library simple, orderly and clear. Through the tag, details of the book can be stored in the system, making the job of librarian much easier.

Using the tag in canteen eliminates the need of carrying money and thus, lets the parents have peace of mind.

• The system monitors when and where each student gets on or off a school bus

The accurate location of children can be monitored by parents using RFID school bus tracking systems. This provides great relief to parents.

Tracking the physical location of children creates an extraordinarily detailed portrait of a child’s school day.

The over-all activity of the child can be monitored through the system anytime, anywhere, by the parents.

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Reasons to Rely on Better Security

It is found that a child is abducted or goes missing every 40 seconds, i.e.

  • Hourly 90
  • Daily 2160
  • Weekly 15120
  • Monthly 64800
  • Yearly 786240

Out of the children kidnapped in United States

  • 40% are killed
  • 4% are never found
  • 75% of the parents fear that their children might get kidnapped
  • 33% parents experience the fear of losing their child more than any other fear
  • 69,000 of the 800,000 children reported as missing are abducted annually, 12,000 of these abductions were committed by the non-family perpetrators and 37% by total strangers for the victim
  • In 82% of the cases, the culprit is a family member
  • Most of the abductions happen within a quarter mile of the victim’s home

Random Facts about Abduction

1.  Girls make up ¾th of the victims of non-family abductions
2.  More than 1 of every 5 children reported as abducted are found dead
3.  Out of the dead children found after abduction, 74% were dead within 3 hours of the abduction
4.  Most of the victims are grabbed on the street by the kidnapper or lured to their vehicle

In today’s hectic life, parents are unable to monitor their child’s movements. The RFID system can be of great help them in such situations.

With this technology, student tracking is possible and thus helps to enhance their safety. Also, by using RFID technology, you will be able to generate accurate attendance reports.

In these ways, the application of RFID improves the overall efficiency of schools.

Punjab and Haryana High Court Inquires Report on the Appointment of Female Attendants in School Buses

 

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ask reports for school authorities regarding the appointment of female attendant within three days. This direction was circulated by the special division bench under the supervision of justice Surya Kant and justice Ajay Tiwari.

This committee took this decision while discussing the issues regarding the implementation of policies on school transportation. During the hearing, the Punjab and Haryana High Court decided to appoint female attendants in school bus carrying female students whereas a male attendant for the school bus carrying male students.

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In addition to this, the High Court mentioned that there will be joint inspections done by transport departments as well as child rights protection commission to ensure that the policies have been followed or not.

Source

Safety Issues of School Bus Rides and Their Solutions

 

“Be sensible, be safe”

School buses are among the safest form of school transportation. The credit of school bus safety goes to the numerous safety measures connected with them. From our environment to traffic blocks, school buses tackle a number of issues. They are at service on every working day of school without disappointing parents or children.

With the help of technology such as Student Tracking systems, you won’t have to worry about the school transportation safety any more. The location of each school bus can be traced without fail using School Bus Tracking systems. Abduction of school buses can thus become a high-risk proposition for terrorists. Even when on road, school buses remain under control of the concerned authority. From speed to punctuality, the bus remains under constant, real-time observation.

RFID tag is another technology based safety measure than can help you to stop worrying about the safety of children. Even during busy schedules, parents can easily confirm the safety of children without much effort, thanks to technology. The money saved on school bus is not money saved. Instead, it reflects a lack of responsibility.

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 5 Major Misconceptions About Student Tracking

Safety issues of the best ride and its solutions

There are certain safety measures that must be considered  in order to ensure school bus safety.

Let’s eliminate the safety drawbacks

1. Waiting for the school bus

School bus Safety:Issues of School Bus Rides & Its Solutions

Routes of the school buses are scheduled in such a way that it is possible for students to choose the most convenient one. Leave at the right time to the bus stop, don’t rush.

Issue

While waiting for the bus, the student may be alone. They may rush to the school bus stop if they are late and could be careless while crossing the road.

Solution

RFID tags help parents to know the exact location of the child. The moment a child enters the bus, parents are notified. The fear of getting lost is eliminated as parents will know immediately if there is any danger. Wait quietly at the safest place, away from the road, for the school bus.

2. Entering the school bus

via GIPHY

Entering the school bus can sometimes be a dangerous task for children. Always stay away from the danger zone of the bus.

Issue

Children might rush to enter the school bus, which can cause injury. Waiting too close to the bus is dangerous.

Solution

Children must enter the school bus without rushing. The driver may not be able to see the children if they are in the danger zone. Therefore, always maintain a single line of queue while entering the bus. Use the rail while getting into the bus. also, get into the bus only when it stops completely.

3. Seat belts

via GIPHY

Nearly 63,000 lives have been saved between 2008 and 2012 by the usage of seat belts. According to law, seat belts are a must for car users and helmets for bikers.

Issue

It is quite surprising to know that most of the school buses do not have seat belts. The seat belts equipped in school buses do not go over the shoulder and lap as in cars. 

Solution

The school buses with seat belts serve better safety and security. Installation of seat belts must be made compulsory in every school bus. Seat belts must be installed in such a way that it is useful for the children rather than hurting them.

4. Behaviour inside the bus

via GIPHY

It is natural that students tend to make noise and fight inside the school bus.

Issue

The noise made by the children might distract the driver which can result in an accident. Children will always have a tendency to put their head and hands outside the bus. Eating and drinking inside the bus can also adversely affect the children. It not only contaminates the bus floor, but also, causes accidents to students as the food materials lying on the school bus surface may cause the students to slip on them..

Solution

Children must be taught how to behave inside the school. They must sit properly in the bus without moving here and there. Waving hands and putting head out of the window can result in serious injury. A supervisor can be appointed to take care of children while inside the bus.

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How Safe is the School Bus for Student Transportation

5. Getting out of the bus

via GIPHY

More accidents happen by being hit by a school bus than while riding in a school bus. For instance, a third-grade student, after getting out of the bus, finds that his important papers have fallen under the bus. Naturally, he will dash towards the bus to collect it. Not knowing about the child, the driver will start the bus. Simple negligence can result in serious injury and even to death.

Issue

Children are unaware about the dangers that may happen to them if they stand too close to the school bus. Standing too close to the school bus after getting out of it can cause injury.

Solution

Children must be taught about the safety tips and rules that they must maintain once they get out of the bus. They must be well aware about the danger zones around the bus, from where they should keep themselves away.

Now that’s officially proven

School buses collectively travel more than 4 billion miles carrying more than 24 million students. Taking into account the distance travelled by school buses, deaths are extremely rare. Death rate of school buses per 100 million miles travelled is 0.2 while automobile deaths are eight times higher. The calculations clearly indicate that school bus is far better compared to any other means of transportation to school.

Factors that contributes to the safety of school bus

There are numerous factors that contribute to the better safety of school buses. School buses are constructed so as to avoid any possible accidents. Usually, experienced drivers are allotted to school buses for making the ride comfortable and safe. Safety is given importance above any other factor.
Track School Bus systems have GPS to track school buses in real-time and RFID to track each child. As both children and school bus are under observation, it is easy to identify even the slightest possibility of danger. The services provided by school buses cannot be compensated by any other means of transportation.

A better planet for our children

Hiring school bus reduces the number of other vehicles on road. The consumption of petrol reduces. The yellow bus reduces the amount of carbon emissions by taking cars off the road conserving our planet for our children.

  • School bus rides save an average 1,157,068,800 pounds of CO2 emission per state per year. Imagine the amount of CO2 a school bus can save our planet from
  • School bus saves $421 in fuel costs per car per year. Now, that’s a whole lot money
  • School bus rides save approximately 147 children per state per year. That’s priceless!

    
Indeed, school bus transportation plays a vital role in the lives of students from pre-school to high school. There are so many dominant issues associated with school bus transportation and it can be solved easily by parents as well as students by being prepared and vigilant. 

“Safety is simple as ABC, Always Be Careful”

A Complete Guide to Ensure Road Safety in India

 

You may be well aware of the conditions of Indian roads. It is poor and lamentable. The rate of road related accidents and injuries are soaring up day by day. As the number of vehicles on the road and traffic is advancing in giant strides, it is essential to follow certain road safety rules.

Today, most people lack road-sense, which complicates the matters related to safety.  Even though you have a license in hand, you may not be fully aware of safe driving tips and traffic rules. In addition to this, the vehicle you own may not even have undergone proper maintenance.

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Student Road Safety and its Relevance in Today’s World 

Precautionary Measures for Student Road Safety

There are so many reasons due to which road accidents and injuries are increasing. Here follows some common reasons:

  • Lack of road safety awareness
  • Use of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets while driving
  • Improper vehicle maintenance
  • Pathetic condition of Indian roads

Some of the essentials before driving on Indian roads:

  • Valid driving license
  • Insurance certificate
  • Registration certificate
  • Pollution Under Control(PUC) certificate

Things to do if you use four wheelers:

  • Wear seat belts and advice the same to other passengers
  • You should use child seats for children below 4 years
  • Permit pedestrians to cross the road first
  • You should give way to emergency vehicles
  • Make use of rear view mirrors and indicators while you move to another lane
  • You should ride slowly near junctions
  • Keep up proper distance from the vehicle in front of yours
  • Always follow your driving lane

 Things that should not be done if you use four wheelers:

  • You should never attempt to jump red lights
  • Do not drink and drive
  • Never use mobile phones while driving a vehicle
  • Do not try to let your vehicle speed exceed 60kph in the city
  • Parking on busy roads is not allowed
  • Do not drive a vehicle if your age is below 18years
  • You should never apply sudden brake

Things that should be done if you use two wheelers:

  • Wear a good quality helmet for your safety
  • Check the tires of your vehicle before starting the journey
  • Ensure that the lights in your vehicle are functioning 
  • Give proper indication before you plan to take a turn
  • Use brakes whenever needed
  • You should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle moving ahead

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Things you should not do if you use two wheelers:

  • Never ride zigzag through traffic
  • You should never try to overtake from the left side of the vehicle
  • Never overload your vehicle
  • You should not apply sudden brake in your vehicle
  • Do not use cell phones while driving your vehicle

Know your road well:    

  • Center line: If the white lines in the center are broken and divides the road into two, then, it signifies that you can overtake if the coast is clear
  • Twin white/yellow lines: This symbol signifies that you should not try to overtake another vehicle in that particular road
  • Small broken white lines: This line is a separation and your vehicles are supposed to move between those lines
  • Single yellow line: This line can never be crossed unless there is a need for you to turn right or take a U-turn
  • Zebra crossing: These white stripes are meant for pedestrians to cross safely on the road. If a pedestrian attempts to cross the road, stop your vehicle and allow them to cross the road

Some of the common faults that obstruct road safety and how it can be handled:

  • Overspeeding –  solved by using radar guns that help to check the speed of vehicles
  • Violation of safety rules- should be strictly dealt by Government and impose heavy fines 
  • Consumption of alcohol and drugs- punishment should be given and license should be cancelled
  • Road congestion- use public transport system and encourage carpooling

Most of the casualties and fatalities are caused by indifference of people towards road safety rules. The safety rules mentioned above can attribute your safety and security on the road. In addition to this, attending an awareness program on road safety can be a good idea for your better and improved life.
                                                        “Care for others, care for your life”

RTO Decides to Remove Speed Breakers as part of Road Safety Campaign


As part of road safety campaign, the Nashik RTO decides to remove speed breakers from vehicles. Bharat Kalaskar, Deputy regional transport officer, said that their main goal is to provide road safety awareness for the safety campaign from Jan 9 to 23. Also, they would like to concentrate more on issues that needs immediate action.

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Kalaskar added that they are planning to remove speed breakers which are not installed as per the rules. He claims that the speed of vehicles has definitely come down due to the speed breakers but it is causing a real trouble to two wheelers. And the issues of overcrowded vehicles will be seriously considered.

The RTO officials said that school bus safety is one of their top concerns. And they plan to give awareness to school authorities and drivers regarding the safety measures.

Source

24 Cool School Bus Games 2020 [Updated]

Students tend to get bored while travelling for a whole hour in the school bus, to school or back to home. It is true that interesting school bus games may help them to have fun inside the bus.
While entertaining themselves, the students do not realize that they are putting school bus safety at stake. If you are a teacher, a senior student or a school bus driver, why not urge the students to play few school bus games to keep themselves occupied?

Here is a list of 15 cool school bus games to keep even the naughtiest student at bay.

1. I spy

Any number of students can play this game, though a minimum of two players is required. Students can take turns in spotting something inside or outside the bus. They can then give clues so that others can guess what they spotted.

For example, a student can say, “I spy something beginning with c.” The clue can be vague so that the student can keep other students from guessing. To play fair, the student has to mention the object they spy to another student. This can prevent them from changing the object later. The person who guesses it right can be the “spy” next.

2. Trivia

You can play trivia games with students that are related to travel or general knowledge. Students can raise their hands to answer the questions. This can also be played in teams. Two students can sit together to form a team and answer the questions. Every team that answers right will be rewarded with points.

Student-Safety

3. Verbal charades

Write down phrases or words on pieces of paper and put them in a bag. Each student can take turns to select a piece of paper from the bag. They can then give verbal clues to other students so that they can guess the word or phrase.

4. Alphabet game

Students can try to complete whole alphabet in order by locating words outside the bus that starts with the letter. The word can be on a billboard, another vehicle, road signs or shops. When the second player locates the next letter, they can shout the word they see. This can be a group effort or you can make it a competition if you want.

5. 10 fingers

Each student can begin a sentence with “Never have I ever” and end it with something they have never done. Others in the group who have done the action can then put a finger down. The first person who runs out of fingers loses.

For example: a student can say, “Never have I ever eaten an apple.” Everyone who has eaten an apple can put their fingers down.

6. Name game

This is another interesting game which starts with a student choosing a name that starts with the letter “A.” The next person repeats the “A” name and adds a name that starts with “B.” The third player repeats the “A” and “B” games and adds another name that starts with “C.”

For example, by the time it is the fourth player’s turn, the name will be “AbbyBobChrisDon.” If a student misses a name in between, they are out of the game. The game continues until only one player survives.

7. Licence plate game

This is a very simple game. Students can note the licence plate numbers of nearby vehicles and guess which state the vehicles belong to. While playing this game, be careful that you do not put your head and arms outside the window.

8. Tic Tac Toe

This may be a bit tough to play in a moving bus. But, it is an option when there is nothing left to play. All you need are two players, a piece of paper and a pencil. The first player can place an “X” in the grid and player two can place an “O.” The players can take turns until one player has three across.

9. Hangman

This is another interesting game where a student leaves underscores instead of writing out a word, name of a person or a place, a title of a book or a movie etc.

The second player has to guess one letter at a time. For every incorrect guess, the first player draws parts such as head, limbs and body on the hangman scaffold. The second player loses when the dead body is complete.

10. Antakshari

This is a popular Indian game. The word “Antakshari” means the last letter in Hindi. Players can divide themselves into two groups. A player in a group can sing the first four lines of a song. Now, the second group has to sing a song starting with the first letter of the last word of the song that the other team sang.

Also Read: 15 Best Bus Parking Games 2020

11. Scavenger Hunt

This game requires some preparation, planning, and organisation. One student should give the other students, a list of items. These items should be near or around the school bus. The student who first locates all items in the list wins the game.

12. The Puzzle Game

Students can play puzzle games on the school bus. One student can distribute puzzles to others and the student who solves puzzles in minimum time becomes the winner of this game.

13. Famous People

One of the students in the group should say the name of a singer, actor, or any other celebrity. If someone tells ‘Sachin Tendulkar’, the next name should start with the ending letter, that is, ‘R’. Each name cannot be repeated, which makes the game far more complicated in the next round.

Similarly to make it more difficult, you can limit the field by deciding to use live celebrities, dead celebrities, or celebrities from a particular area.

14. 20 Questions

A student can think of something and other students should guess what that is. Around 20 simple questions can be asked by other students to guess the answer. This game is usually played by a small group of students.

15. Two Truths and a Lie

This will be a great game to pass time. Every student should say three things- out of this, two of them will be truths and the other one will be a lie. The other students should identify which of them are truths and which one is a lie.

16) Would you rather

A fun-filled school bus games!

These school bus games needs at least two persons. You can play this with your friend or other bus members. This game helps to break the ice between two people. 

One of the partners needs to ask a series of questions considering two different scenarios.

For example,” Would you rather eat a spicy chilly or take a hot bath under the sun? 

Not answering is not an option in this game. 

This game is sure to have a lot of fun among students.

17) Say your ABC’s

Start with the letter” A”, Lookout of the window and search for a thing, building, sign or landmark that begins with this letter. Finish the game until the letter “Z” is reached. This way lets you enjoy the scenery and it also improves your memory skills. 

These school bus games can be played with any number of students who can also form groups.

Also Read: 20 Smart Brain Games For Kids

18) Identify the tune

Rocking out your favorite tune is always interesting during a bus trip. You can start humming the tune of your favorite song and let your friends identify the song. You can make this more interesting and appealing by giving some clues. 

Your friends can also dance to the tunes to make the game funny.

19) Frame a story

Form groups of four or five friends. One of you can start a story with four words; the next one can add four more words to the story, then the next person after that. 

Add some pressure to the game by setting a time limit, a theme, a place of action, during a specific time, etc.

Don’t be shy to come up with your ideas and imaginations. See how long does the story moves, before someone gets bumped.

20) I’m going on a …

This game is best for preschoolers for memorizing alphabets. The first player can say “I am going for a picnic bringing …”, name anything that starts with letter ‘A’, like (apples), the next one can say something with ‘B’, thus the game continues until players cannot name something that starts with the next letter. 

The game can also be played with -” I am going to school”, “I am going to work” or I am going on vacation”.

21) Chain Game

An oldie but a goodie.

You can play this game with your friends. First choose some interesting topics like TV shows, celebrities, artists, brands, etc. 

Then, select any one category, for example, if you have chosen TV shows, you might say Game of Thrones, so the second player should say a TV show starting with ‘T’. Game continues until players are eliminated when they can’t answer. 

22) Can You Guess Who I Interviewed?

Students can interview their seatmates and write four sentences about them on a piece of paper. Don’t write the name or physical appearance. All papers should be hand over to the team leader. He/she should read each student’s interview paper aloud and other students should find who it is about. 

23) Kiss the kids

Let all the kids be seated. An elder one/teacher can ask funny or GK questions. If anyone knows the correct answer they should raise hands. The one who answers correctly will receive a Hershey’s Kisses.

24) Candy Game

Distribute different types of candies among students so that each one can have five candies.

Here is the hard part- they can’t eat it yet!

Next, hold up a board discussing what students must share to eat each candy.

For example-To eat Snickers, they should tell about their summer memories.

To keep the game simple, distribute M&M’s or Skittles so that each color can have a topic to speak about. 

Download our Infographics

15-Cool-School-Bus-Games-infographic

 

Student Road Safety and its Relevance in Today’s World

 

“Obey traffic rules, the life saving tools”

In essence, you may be well aware of road safety education and its relevance in ensuring student road safety. The question is how is it possible to educate your kids about road safety- providing a systematic safety lesson, organizing safety games, and accompanying your child when they go outdoors.

Are you wondering what road safety education actually is? Here is what you are seeking for:

Road safety education is an educational program about road safety that is given to both children and young people in schools and educational institutions. This safety education encourages the participation of parents and guardians for the purpose of helping children to be safe in traffic. It helps to inculcate safe behaviour in children and young people. And thus become an efficient passenger, pedestrian, cyclists, etc.

Road safety education becomes more effective when you conduct demonstration classes, which match the level of development of youngsters as a responsible road user.

Why is student road safety education important?

“Better to prevent than lament”

You can see how traffic is increasing day by day. Hence, it is your responsibility to teach your children about road safety rules and regulations right from an early age to protect themselves. Earlier, you needn't  have to worry about your child as there was not much traffic. But, now things have changed a lot and the number of vehicles is soaring high.

There are so many interesting ways by which you can teach road safety to your children at home as well as in the classroom. A class taken by a police official can be of great help to your children. This is similar to the classes conducted recently by Delhi traffic police as part of  Children's Day celebrations. Computer supported training will be more effective for children.

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Student Road Safety and its Relevance in Today's World

Goals of student road safety education

  • Proper understanding of road traffic
  • Acquire safety skills to survive in traffic
  • Emphasize their duty to protect themselves on the road
  • Explain the causes and effects of road crashes
  • Create a consideration on other's safety

Objectives of student road safety education

  • To discover and identify the traffic situation well
  • To  judge the visual lead time
  •  To analyse the information received from different directions
  •  To organize perception and action
  •  To make an individual judgement on road traffic situations 

Is road Safety education more important than law enforcement?

Though both are different concepts, to students road safety education is more important than law enforcement. Hence, it should be a part of school curriculum for children. Young children are the future of our nation and hence, their protection is undeniably a top concern. 

As a parent, you may try to keep your child away from all risks. But, this is not going to work anyway, as they need to be made prepared for the worst. Children and young people are more susceptible to be victims of crashes. This is because of their lack of awareness of essential road safety rules.

When you look deeply, road safety education is a part of law enforcement as law enforcement becomes complete only when citizens follow road safety rules properly.

Relevance of road safety in today's world

A lot of human lives are lost in road related accidents nationwide every year. Road safety is hence important for every student who is planning to drive a vehicle. In 2013, it was reported that 1,37,000 people got killed. It was a record as the death rate caused by accidents is greater than that death caused by wars.

According to the reports, there were 29,989 crashes in the year 2014 itself. These crashes have risen at an alarming rate ever since. If you want to reduce the number of these accidents in the coming years, then it is vital for you to concentrate more on road safety. 

To ensure student road safety, they should receive adequate road safety education at the right age in schools and other educational institutions.

WHO and its Global Status Report on road safety 2015

On the basis of information from 180 countries, World Health Organization (WHO) found that about 1.25 million accidental deaths occurred each year. And the greatest number of accidents is reported from low income countries. 

Based on the report, in the last 3 years, about 17 countries are reported to have taken strict action against drink driving, child restraints, seat belt, motorcycle helmets, etc. and yet there was no change in the accident death rates. A target has been decided by the members, that is, halving the total number of road accident related deaths and injuries by 2020.
    
Road safety education in schools

“Speed thrills but kills”

Road safety education is a continuous process, and it is better for you to begin teaching your children about road safety from a young age so that it become inherent in their nature, attitude and ultimately becomes a habit as they grow up.

Before teaching road safety to your students, you should check whether any student has any previous experience on road accidents or injuries. If there is, it will be better for you to have a discussion with their parents or guardians to know whether their child should be excluded from the lesson or not.

Your child should be aware of the dangers awaiting them in the traffic environment and take appropriate safety measures as an efficient road user. This is possible only when you give proper road safety education to them.

Must Read: 

10 Important Points on Student Road Safety and Suggestion for Improvements

Key contents of road safety education

There are certain contents that cannot be excluded from the road safety lessons. And such contents are following:    

Student Road Safety and its Relevance in Today's World

 

Road safety ABC

It will be better if you include road safety ABC in your lessons. Are you wondering about road safety ABC. Don't worry, here is what you are looking for:

A for awareness (causes and consequences of traffic)

B for behaviour (what are the things you should do to make you safe on the road)

C for choice and campaigning (how will you take proper choice and persuade others to
 make choices too)

The Green Cross Code

Want to know more about the Green Cross Code? Here is what you are seeking for:

1. Identify a safe place to cross the road

2. Stop and observe your surroundings before getting into the kerb

3. Look and listen the road traffic carefully

4. Have patience and let the traffic clear out

5. Ensure that the road is clear, go straight across the road, and never run or panic on the road

Road safety for primary school students

Primary school kids are one of the most defenseless road users. What can you do for them? You can help them by developing their skills, demeanor, and conduct for being safe as a passenger, pedestrian and cyclists. They should be given proper supervision for identifying traffic related dangers and establishing safe strategies when they are on the street without any supervision.

Safe road use behavior should be taught and constantly reinforced until the students  understand it thoroughly and practice it properly. 

When you give road safety education to primary school students, it should:

  • Emphasize essential road safety messages 
  • Include road safety content in the school syllabus
  • Be taught regularly at each stage by both parents and teachers
  • Consider local road safety issues
  • Never scare your child with frightful consequences

Road safety for secondary school students

Road safety education is edifying, forward-looking and closely linked with development stage of each child. The most efficacious road safety education is created by a  good partnership between teachers, road safety officials and parents, each corroborating the others.

As your child moves to upper classes (secondary school), the importance of road safety also gets increased. Most of the secondary school students go to school all by themselves. Sometimes, there will be extracurricular activities in addition to their normal school hours. Also, there is a chance for outing planned with friends, or a trip of their own. 

By analysing their behavior, you will be able to know the risk of accidents on secondary school students are greater than that of primary school students. Teenagers are one of the substantial group of road users as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and newly licensed drivers. Their overconfidence and indifference to the rules will lead them to serious trouble.

As you analyse the annual survey report of accidental deaths, you can see that most of the victims are young people. Hence, parents, teachers and other road safety professionals should together make an effort to make them understand about the dangers awaiting them on the road and oversee the risks they confront as road users.

What can you do as a teacher to enhance road safety education in students?

Select the most suitable and relevant resources for improving the road safety skills of your students. This can be done only by you as you are the only person who knows the abilities of each student. You can offer them adequate support to augment their safety behaviours and thus ensure student road safety.

What should you do as a secondary school student to improve your safety skills?

You can take part in a range of activities that help you to understand and mold your road safety habits. And overcome certain safety risks that can harm you. Also, you can make use of resources provided by your concerned teacher.

What should you do as a parent of a secondary student?

You should interact with your child about road safety education and reinforce certain safety messages to make your child safe. As a parent, you can easily persuade them to be a responsible road user.

Road safety campaigns and its effects

Road safety campaigns are useful as it helps to influence behaviours and attitudes of people. But at the same time, WHO also mentions that there is not much reduction in road accidents even after organising campaigns. 

When you organize road safety campaigns, there should be involvement of government institutions, non-governmental institutions, non governmental organizations, and mass media. Their support and involvement can make the campaigns successful and effective.

The safety campaigns will be effective if you include lectures and interaction, films on road safety, competitions such as painting competition, quiz competitions, debate competitions etc. on road safety. When you include all these activities, safety campaigns becomes more lively, entertaining, and interesting for students.

Road safety campaigns are far more effective than commercial marketing campaigns. It is different from other campaigns since it influences behaviour rather than encouraging the purchase of a new product or switching to other brands. Today, numerous schools and colleges have started to organize campaigns for ensuring student road safety.

Road Safety Education Program

Purpose of road safety education- best opportunity to manage behaviour change of young people and decrease the number of road accidents among youngsters and children

A road safety education program is a learning program on road safety, which is organized for all citizens of the nation. Every driving school organizes theoretical and practical training for young drivers to enrich them with road safety measures. It also helps to identify the factors that increase the risk of accidents. Hence, you will be able to create a new generation of drivers with a good amount of knowledge on road safety via this program. 

The road safety education program aims to:

  • Create a safe, interdependent and culpable driver
  • Manage a vehicle effectively
  • Share the road efficiently
  • Use the road responsibly
  • Apply various driving strategies 
  • Train the drivers to obey road signs and traffic signals, manage the vehicle in times of emergencies, take an important decision to ensure road safety, etc.    

Road safety education limited

It is a non-profit organisation that transfers you highly efficient and proof based road education programs. The main aim of this organisation is to reduce road related accidents of young people. The Road Safety Education (RSE) Foundation was constituted to fulfil the aims of Road Safety Education Ltd

    Earlier, it was named as Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) and Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Foundation in both Australia and New Zealand. It was in 2012 that the name changed to Road Safety Education Ltd and Road Safety Education Foundation.
    
Primarily, the name was changed to reflect the mission of the aforesaid organisation to reduce the sufferings and deaths of young drivers. 

Student road safety awareness

Road safety is an engaging subject, which involves both children and youngsters. Most of the young people die because of road related crashes. This is because they are careless and unconcerned about road safety rules. Another important reason behind it is the lack of road safety awareness among your kids. 

When you give safety awareness, they will be able to understand the basic concepts of road safety and essential safety rules. It is better to include practical experiences and campaigning while taking awareness classes. This will make your class lively, effective, and successful. 

You can make the class engaging by including various activities on road safety. Here are certain activities by which you can present before your students to enrich them with road safety:

  • Conducting a seat belt experiment

Introduce two toy cars before the student crowd: one with the belted teddy bear and the other with an unbelted teddy bear. You can carry out this experiment with slopes and obstacles to reconstruct Indian roads. Through this experiment, you can show them how a belted teddy bear survives without falling and getting hurt. 

  • Experiment with shine torches

You will be able to create a dark environment by closing all the classroom windows and if needed, you can make use of blinds to create more darkness. Then shine torches on student's high visibility vests (brightly coloured vests). And each student will become visible with the help of those bright lights.

And this experiment is a proof showing your kid that they can be made visible before drivers by wearing bright coloured clothes. When they are shown by example, they will certainly understand its significance and be encouraged to do that for the better.

  • Compose a Road Safety Song

Songs are an excellent way by which you can persuade students to follow safety rules. It will be interesting if you compose a road safety song for your students. Words like stop, go, pavement, hold hands, etc. can be used to make them realistic. Students will not only get entertained by this song, but also learn essential things about road safety by reciting the song along with their pals.

  • Listen to noises and match the pictures

You can allow your student to listen to various noises on the road and identify it. It can be the noise of the ambulance, car, etc. and you can give the students an opportunity to match the sound with the pictures they hold. This provides an important lesson to them, that is, listen to the noises on the road and thus, be vigilant about the ongoing traffic.

  • Red light, Green light

This is a kind of game that arouse interest in your students. A student should be chosen as a traffic light and he or she stands in front of the class. Mark a line on the floor, so that the student should cross the line to reach the traffic light. When the traffic light says green, every student should cross the road and when it says red, all the students should turn around. 

If anyone is seen moving when the traffic light says red, that particular student should go to back to the classroom and start the game once again. And the student who reaches the traffic light first, become the next traffic light.

A lot of things can be taught through this activity. Your students will be able to gain adequate knowledge about different traffic lights and its importance, such as 'red to stop' and 'green to move'. 

  • Lesson on traffic

Take a lesson on 'what is meant by traffic'. After this lesson, your students will be able to describe what traffic and vehicles are, identify vehicles based on its size, and recognize pictures of traffic. You can also ask them to name various traffic signs and what it signifies.
 
All the above activities make your awareness program appealing and successful. Road safety awareness helps to develop your student's existing knowledge on road safety and protect them from road related dangers. 

Rewards for student safety

It will be a great idea, if you reward those students who obey road safety rules flawlessly. This will encourage your students to follow rules and execute it at the right time. A notable example is the student road safety awards organized by Paul Kerr. The main aim of this initiative is to give student safety awards and attribute road safety awareness among youngsters.

Paul Kerr organized this initiative in memory of his son, Jon Paul. Jon died at the age of 17, which is driven by an 18 year old driver who got license just two weeks before. The scheme was introduced for motivating the children aged between 11 and 18 to create an exclusive project on improving road safety awareness. 

The most innovative project will be given awards sponsored by Peugeot (French car manufacturing company) along with the support of Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). This serves a good model for enhancing road safety education among your kids and also, you can organize activities that will encourage students to expose their road safety skills and behaviours.

Roads are something that needs to be shared with everyone. Your behaviour or attitudes as a pedestrian, cyclist or driver should be administered with a sense of care and respect towards your fellow road users. 

Students are the ones who violate rules more than anyone. One of the prime thing that you should teach them is to never consider a road as a playground. Your responsibility is to give your kid road safety education at the right age, which help them to  ensure their own safety.

“Drive carefully to live joyfully”

14 Most Read TrackSchoolBus Blogs of 2016

 

2016 has been an eventful year here at trackschoolbus as we strived hard to create child road safety awareness among the masses. People from around the globe were interested and their interest in reading our blog was proof of this. 

Below is a list of blogs that held the interest of our readers through the year. 

1. 10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children – One of the most popular blogs in the year 2016, this blog talks about the essential road safety rules for children. Road safety is an emerging issue as the number of vehicles on the road keep on increasing every day. Students represent the future of a nation and hence rules should be taught to them. This blog tries to impart valuable information to ensure student safety education

2. Top 10 School Bus Companies – Maybe it is the curiosity to know which bus company is actually the best or it might be the surprise that there are actually companies that specialize in making school buses. Either ways, this was one of the most read blogs the past year. The popularity of this blog might also indicate that a lot of people are interested in 'branded school buses'. 

3. 10 Cool School Bus Games – Its no surprise this blog became popular. Bus games are interesting not just to students, but also to transport managers and drivers. The games do help in keeping the students engaged and distracts them from involving in other activities. School authorities were certainly busy trying to find methods by which school bus journey would become entertaining for kids.

4. 12 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About GPSGPS systems have slowly but steadily stamped its influence over various fields of everyday life. This blog has been a long time favourite of our readers. It was originally written in early 2015. A significant number of visitors still arrive every day to read it. The interesting title certainly helps.

5. 20 Must-know School Bus Safety Tips for School Bus Drivers – School bus drivers are responsible for safely transporting students to school. But unfortunately, they don't get their due often. From the popularity of the blog, it is clear that people want to know as much as possible about the safety guidelines for school bus drivers.

6. 10 Important Points on Student Road Safety and Suggestion for Improvements – Most students are unaware about road safety and it may be the reason why the blog got such popularity. A number of accidents happen not on the bus but while on the road. The blog discusses the most important aspects of road safety and even offers some suggestions to improve road safety.

7. 25 School Bus Safety Tips For Kids – A child's safety is given highest priority by parents and school authorities. This blog offered school bus safety tips for students, parents, and other vehicle users safe around school buses. It is in fact a must read if you know a kid.

8. How Well Do You Know about School Bus Dimensions? – Indeed school bus dimensions have an important role to play if you are planning to start a school bus business. Proper dimensions helps ensure safety to students during a crash or other accidents. People may be unaware of the appropriate school bus dimensions recommended for student safety. This blog gives an idea about the required school bus dimensions. 

9. Scope of RFID School Bus Tracking Systems in Security Measures at Schools – RFID school bus tracking system gives peace of mind to parents as well as school authorities. RFID school bus tracking is approved by many schools to ensure better student safety and the popularity of the blog shows readers' interest in knowing the scope of this innovative technology.

10.  Safety Issues of School Bus Rides and their Solutions – Even though school bus is said to be one of the safest transportation for school students, there may be several issues associated with a school bus ride. It is a good idea to know these issues and take proper measures against it for ensuring better student safety. 

11.  6 Awesome Technologies Used in Modern School Buses – Technology is progressing everyday and it enhances the quality of people's lives.  Each year school buses get  new technologies for better student safety. It is evident from the blog popularity that people are obviously curious about awesome technologies that can be implemented in modern school buses.

12.  Importance of School Bus Safety Tips –  Millions of children transport to school via yellow school buses. Children are the future and their safety is our responsibilty. This blog includes certain school bus safety tips for drivers, parents, and children and why they are actually important. 

13.  How Important is the School Bus Driver? –  School bus driving is a matter of perfection and care. And the goodwill of an institution lies in the hands of a school bus driver. There are many responsibilities for school bus drivers, and the school authorities should ensure that their school bus drivers never try to violate rules. 

14.  7 Qualities of a Great School Bus Transportation System – Let's face it. Not all school bus transportation are the same. Some of the transportations offered are shabby, and others come with advanced features. But what qualities should the perfect school bus transportation system have to be awesome? 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

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As a parent, You may not be aware about the safety concerns of your children on the road until one day when you go to school bus stops, neighbour's house, or local shops. A sudden realisation that road is dangerous for your child comes to you. But, don't you think we should be enabling our children with the knowledge of road safety rules beforehand?

Safety doesn't happen by accident. As a parent, you should be able to create a safe environment for your beloved children. Most parents opt school bus for the safe transportation of children. But you can do more than just ensuring safe transportation of your children. One of the best things you can do is to teach them better about road safety. That way, students will be able to take care of themselves.

There are 10 basic rules that you can teach them. Here, we have simplified the golden road safety rules as much as possible to help you introduce them to your children:

Must Read: 

Road Safety Tips that can Avoid Accidents and Save Your Life

1. Stop

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Broken tools can be replaced. You can't” -Author Unknown

You should tell them to never attempt to cross the road in a hasty manner. Rushing on the road can only harm them. So, teach them to stop and be vigilant before crossing the road. Show them to be aware especially when walking close to the roads.

 

2. Look

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent”- Author Unknown

You should advise them to check all the directions before crossing the roads to ensure their own safety.  Tell them to look and keep on looking until they feel completely safe. You should tell them to be cautious and look at all directions even before intersections and ramblings. Observation never hurts. The more heedful they are, the better it is.

 

3. Think

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Alert today, alive tomorrow”- Author Unknown

“Think before you leap”- this quote is indeed true. Always tell your child to think twice before crossing the road. You should teach them about various traffic signals. Also, remind them to cross the road when the traffic is favourable and by hurrying, things will only get worse.

 

4. Listen

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Chance takers are accident makers”- Author Unknown

“Learn to be a great listener. Your ears will never get you into trouble”. This quote reflects the truth. Listening to traffic signals while crossing the road can help you to be safe.  You can tell your child to walk straight on the road and warn them not to listen to music while crossing the road or walking through the pavement. 

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5. No Running

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Safety is a cheap and effective insurance policy”– Author Unknown

Children have a tendency to run and leave your hands while walking on the road. It is your duty to keep your child calm on the streets. Running while on the road can cause serious damage to your child. Hence, this matter should be seriously considered for ensuring child road safety.

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Teach Road Safety Rules to Kids with These Interesting Activities

 

6.  Use Zebra Crossings

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Accidents hurt – safety doesn't”-Author Unknown

You should teach your child the significance of zebra crossings. Your child can safely cross the road using zebra crossings. Hence, you can advise them to use it appropriately. While crossing, you can tell your child to make eye contact with the drivers,  to pay full attention on the road, and teach them the importance of doing such things. You should ensure that they have the ability to decide when to cross the road. 

 

7.  Colours

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Don't learn safety by accident” –Author Unknown

Colours have a great significance in child road safety. You should teach your child about different traffic signals. Some of the important colours that your child should be aware of  – red, green, and yellow. Teach the significance of each colour – red means “stop”, green for “go”, and yellow for “move with caution”.

 

8. Not a Play Zone

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“If you don't think it's safe, it probably isn't”– Author Unknown

While your child goes out for playing, always put some restriction. One such restrictions include preventing them to play near streets or parking areas. Warn them not to run behind their toy or ball as there is a chance for them to reach the streets and tell them to seek the elder's help if such situations occurs.

 

9. Bright Clothes

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Safety isn't just a slogan; it's a way of life” -Author Unknown

You should advise your child to avoid using dull coloured outfits while they are on the road. It is your duty to teach your kid to wear bright coloured clothing, even when they go out for bicycling in the streets. This is because bright garments catch the driver's attention easily.

 

10.  Side Walks

 

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

“Safety isn't expensive, it’s priceless”– Author Unknown

Make sure your child uses pedestrian roads only for walking. If you demonstrate the same to your child they will follow and make it a habit. Tell your child to avoid those roads without side walks for ensuring their own safety.

Children before 9 years age should not be allowed to cross roads on their own because they lack the peripheral vision, hearing and judgement capabilities necessary. However, it’s important to ensure the best is taught to the children since their early years.

Children never hesitate to copy adults. Make sure that you are a good example for them. Practice the safest method before your children, for them to learn and grow. By setting a good example, you can ensure your child’s safety outside the school transportation service circle.

It is found that most of the child deaths ageing between 5 to 14 are due to road accidents. Serious road injuries are not rare. Teaching more about road safety measures can reduce the number of causalities. Be wise!

To get the PDF version of this blog : Download Here

Road Safety Tips that can Avoid Accidents and Save Your Life

 

Technology  has made it possible for the humankind to take a giant leap in the modes and pace of transport. However, the urban infrastructure remains largely inefficient to accommodate the ever increasing fleet of vehicles and so does the issue of Road safety for children both in the developed and developing nations alike.

So how do we tackle this issue? 

Must Read: 

Road Safety Rules for Children (7 to 11 Years Old)

1. Teach them young

Road safety for Children can be ensured primarily by a guided and effective teaching of road safety rules and regulations especially in the budding years.  Even pre-primary kids can understand the safety rules  easily if taught with fun filled activities. For example, rhymes on road safety can be taught to kids. Dramas or small skits, games on traffic rules, traffic park visits, etc. can help the mentors to instill the needs of observing traffic rules even from a younger age. 

2. Visit the road

No amount of book work or training can be useful unless  it is implemented in real life situation.  A short visit to a suburban where traffic is less can be much useful for teaching road safety for children especially for primary kids. But be careful and extra cautious in leading the kids. Take a small group at a time so that it will be easy to manage the kids and they can learn the traffic rules with ease. 

3.  Mind the traffic

Seek for assistance from traffic controllers for managing traffic near educational institutions at peak hours, particularly during the morning and evening rushes. Schools can also deploy student volunteers from Scouts, Guides or NCC cadets for assisting the traffic personnel.  This can serve the dual purpose of teaching and effectively managing road safety for children

4. Be with kids

Don’t leave the children while crossing the road, especially the younger ones. Parents often tend to be busy with their hands and eyes glued to the mobile especially while crossing the roads. A little care and a tight grip on their hands could ensure road safety for children.  It is important to never leave them unattended while on busy roads. 

5. Reward the kids

A good behaviour should be appreciated and rewarded, especially for kids so that it will instill the values and rules that they learn.  Appreciate when they follow the rules and ask others to follow their example. 

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Road Safety Rules(India) & Why they are Important

6. Install traffic signals

Rural and semi urban areas are fast developing to urban centres with the rapid boost of the economy. Due to their massive numbers, authorities and government agencies might overlook the need of installing traffic signals and symbols. Citizens can make group requests through schools, residents associations or other entities for installing traffic signs at required places near their vicinity.  For example, school authorities can put forward a request to the government to make zebra crossings and speed breakers near the school for ensuring road safety for children.

7. Upkeep the vehicles

It is necessary to keep the school vehicles properly maintained and checked at regular intervals so that accidents can be avoided. Regular overhauling can not only increase the efficiency of the vehicle, but also considerably decreases the likelihood of occurrence of untoward events. 

8.  Create Awareness campaigns

Campaigning for creating awareness  on traffic rules and safety tips with the students is a proven mechanism as far as the reach is considered. Children tend to campaign hard for a cause and it's all the better if it is for creating vigil on traffic rules. Consider it not as a burdensome task, but a small initiative to ensure the road safety for children

9.  Keep Panic away

Even if the kids follow the rules, some motorists might tend to break the rules and create chaos for the citizens. Kids tend to panic easily and might get into accidents inadvertently. Keep them calm and safe, especially while witnessing reckless driving. Don’t forget to emphasize the need for adhering to the rules because road safety for children should be given prime importance in traffic rule education.