“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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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
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
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
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
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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5. Getting out of the bus
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”