School buses are the safest mode of transportation for students to travel to and from their schools. The safety of school buses starts with recruiting qualified drivers and offering them the required training on traffic regulations and on handling the buses safely. School districts should make them understand their responsibility in transporting the school students safely to and from their schools.
Drivers also play an important role in ensuring school bus safety. So while choosing school bus driver, you must be very careful and selective. This is the most vital factor that every school district is supposed to consider while focusing on their school bus safety.
Here are the other 20 ways that a school management can focus on improving the safety of their school buses.
1. Speed Restriction
The transportation division of every school should instruct their drivers not to drive their school bus beyond the specified speed limit. This can be monitored easily by installing a GPS tracking system on their school buses.
2. Unoccupied back seats
If possible, the last two seat rows at the back of the bus can be made empty. This will keep kids free of wounds due to back collisions.
3. Three-Bus Rule
This means that the bus attendant should allow three students at a time for boarding their buses. This practice is particularly important at traffic-prone bus stops. This is because kids are more susceptible to be wounded while getting in and getting out of bus in these areas.
5. Signal
School bus drivers are supposed to signal school kids when the time is safe and suitable for them to cross the road while boarding their buses. Parents should also educate their kids on crossing the road safety.
6. Turning Techniques
School administration should educate their drivers on handling their buses safely during the bends to avoid kids falling down from their seats. This will also prevent the bus from knocking down the oncoming vehicles.
7. Clean floor
School districts should emphasize their bus drivers to keep the floor of the bus clean. This will prevent kids from skidding and being wounded.
8. Seating
Both bus attendants and drivers should ensure that the school kids are appropriately seated. This means that they should check that no part of the kids’ body is projecting the seating aisle.
9. Safe bus stops
School bus drivers have to take utmost care in bus stops where no cars or other vehicles are parked. This can be hazardous not only for students but also for drivers.
10. Distraction
The maximum safety of school bus mainly counts on continuing focused and staying away from disruptions. If students come across any problems in the bus, the driver should first resolve those problems to avoid unnecessary distractions while driving the bus.
12. Safety rules
Communicating the school bus regulations with kids, particularly new occupants, is the key to preserve an organized, safe setting on and around the school bus.
13. School bus backing
School bus drivers should take utmost care while backing their buses. If necessary, they should examine the road in front for any condition that might cause them to back. This can avoid accidental clash with the vehicle standing behind their school bus.
14. Escorting kids
School bus students are more susceptible when they are outside the bus, mostly when they have to cross the road. In such cases, school bus attendants or drivers should escort kids across the road to ensure safety.
15. Driver responsibility
Drivers should drive their school buses with the maximum responsibility. They should communicate with their transport manager whenever there are changes in the road or bus stops.
16. Tipping the drivers
School administrators are supposed to offer useful and helpful tips to their drivers every morning on driving their buses safely. This will remind them about overall school bus safety.
17. Bullying
Bullying is one of the things happens in the school bus. This is because school kids are more vulnerable to bullying when they are in the bus rather than outside. So, to avoid these, school districts should educate bus staff on how to handle these situations in a well manner.
18. Bus check
Both the attendants and drivers should check their school bus whether any kid is still inside the bus after the completion of trip. Therefore, the best way to avoid this problem is marking attendance of kids when they enter and exit their bus.
19. Safety Vests
School management should instruct the school bus drivers and attendants to wear the reflective security vests. This will allow them to perk up protection in school bus lots.
20. Evacuation training
School administration should offer necessary training to their school bus students on the way to evacuate their school buses if any untoward incident happens. This is important for the elementary level students.