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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
School bus, no doubt is the ultimate solution for safe transportation of children to and from school. There are a lot of factors that adds to the school bus safety.
From GPS tracking to RFID tags, school bus attains full points as far as safety of children is measured.
The task of picking up of students from stops and dropping them off at school are managed by the school bus drivers. They also transport students and faculty to field trips or sporting events.
School bus drivers often work split shifts of mornings and afternoons. They hold a very important responsibility of transportation of the students.
The role of drivers might appear small but there are a lot of things that drivers must concentrate on.
School Bus Safety tips for school bus drivers
1. Usually drivers follow a strict time schedule, but under no circumstances safety should be sacrificed to maintain schedule 2. The driver should be well aware that he represents the school so he must display a clean personality with good behavior 3. Leave at the right time to the bus stop, don’t rush 4. Should concentrate on moving traffic 5. Pay attention to the traffic and safety measures, do not listen to music player, do not play handheld video games which can lead to distractions and accidents 6. Never wear hood while driving as it can make difficulty in hearing and seeing traffic 7. Ensure that all the children are safely seated before starting the bus 8. Be courteous and show respect to children 9. Be friendly to children but concentrate more on road while driving 10. Stop for picking and dropping of children 11. Drive with the headlights on, even during day time 12. Be prepared to act accordingly during emergency situation 13. Deal with the public in a positive, courteous and respectful manner 14. Remain alert for ice, debris, or slippery spots 15. Alerts about bad weather should be noticed 16. If the bus is trapped on tracks, evacuate the bus immediately 17. The speed should always be under control 18. Do not rush to reach the destination fast, always put safety prior to schedule 19. After every drive, bus drivers should check all seats and interior 20. Do not smoke or consume alcohol inside the school bus
Here are the 20 safety tips for school bus drivers shown in the form of Slideshare presentation:
Primary Responsibilities of the school bus drivers
• Transportation of the children to and from school • Transportation on scheduled time and route • Before operating the bus, ensure the functioning of the bus. Check the bus tires, breaks, lights, and oil. • Helping disabled children to enter and exit the bus • Ensuring that children are seated before the bus starts • Keenly following the traffic rules • Informing the passengers of any delay • Staying updated about the latest driving rules • Remain alert for ice, debris, or slippery spots • Emergency numbers must be kept with the drivers • Drive students and staff members to field trips, sporting events, and other outdoor activities
• All routes including the highways • School bus regulations • Dealing with children • Dealing with children of special needs • Scheduling system and procedures • Record keeping system • Equipment cleaning standards and procedures
Skills and abilities of the driver
• Operating the school bus in a safe and responsible manner • Skills of client service and public interaction • Team building • Problem solving skill • Quick decision making capability • Verbal and listening skill • Ability to write and read • Stress management • Time management
There are some must follow qualities for being a perfect school bus driver
• Honesty and trustworthy • Respectfulness • Cultural awareness and sensitivity • Should be flexible • Demonstrate sound work ethics
Special direction for the drivers to follow
There are some school bus safety measures that must be followed by the by school bus drivers.
• The driver should not leave the bus with motor running • While children are on the bus, driver should never fill the gasoline tank • No one other than authorized people should drive the school bus • Driver should not merchandise animals, weapons, or other loads or attachments when transporting children • There must be a back up bus in the school • Move the bus only after all the riders are seated • Do not consume alcohol before driving • Report to the concerned authority if there are unmanageable pupils • Never put the child to walk home • Never use abusive language • While transporting pupils, driver shall not exceed 15 m.p.h • Promptly file all reports, routes, schedules and instructions for picking and dropping
School bus is said to be the safest mode of transportation for students existing today. Encouraging importance of school bus safety tips to parents and kids is given top priority by every school authorities. Roughly, there are about twenty five million children transported to school via big yellow buses.
Obviously, injuries can happen if the child is careless and hasty while getting on or off the school bus. By discussing school bus safety rules to children, parents can help to avert some of the avoidable accidents. It is essential to teach kids about various safety rules and regulations.
Following are the 25 school bus safety tips for kids:
1. Arrive at the bus stop prior to scheduled school bus time. It is better to arrive at least 5 minutes earlier
2. Stand at least ten feet away from the edge of the road
3. Wait until the school bus stops, the door gets opened and the driver says okay to get on the bus
4. Assure yourself no objects from the bag is dangling which get caught either in the handrails or doors while entering or exiting the bus
5. Check the road for other vehicles before stepping off the bus
6. Never stand closer than 10 feet to the bus as drivers will not be able to see you. Hence, stay out of the danger zone
7. Always be alert to traffic. Look left, right and then left before crossing the road
while getting on or off the bus
8. Stay in a safe place away from the street while waiting for the bus
9. Never try to pick up things which are near or under the bus, warn the driver before picking it
10. Remember to cross the road in front of a bus rather than to cross behind the bus
11. Stay seated and sit quietly when the bus is moving
12. Wait for the driver’s signal to crossing
13. Do not make loud noises that may distract the driver
15. Always stay away from the rear wheels of the bus
16. Wait until the bus to stop completely, for getting up from the seat
17. Keep the bags and other belongings out of the aisles
18. Keep head, hands and arms inside the window
19. Never wait for the bus on the road. Instead, wait on the sidewalk
20. Avoid violent or careless behavior when getting on the bus
21. Students should not carry anything that may cause injury to others
22. Do not throw objects inside the bus
23. Let the smaller children board first
24. Do not attempt to use emergency doors or exit controls without supervision or permission from drivers
25. Never fight with other students inside the school bus
Watch our Youtube video on State of the Art School Bus Safety by TrackSchoolBus
School bus safety for kids is something which cannot be ignored. The safety of their child is the first thing that comes to a parent’s mind, especially when entrusting child care to someone else. This is the case of thousands of children in the school bus. Hence it is essential to assure student safety.
Students can protect themselves by closely following safety rules and careful observation. Theres always a chance for improvement in the case of assuring safety. All the above twenty five tips help to keep school children more safe and pleasant. They will start to enjoy the school bus trip with increased safety.
Jonesville Elementary/Middle School organized demo classes on school bus safety for students. In this class, students learned about how to safely move out of a school bus at the time of emergencies.
During these classes, students were given the opportunity to use the school bus emergency exits properly. Also, they are able to learn how to get off the bus without any support from elders and, thereby, help others to get off the bus safely.
The exercise was conducted in the parking place of the school, the place where students used to get on and off the school bus daily. School authorities as well as parents thanked the efforts taken by school bus drivers to make children aware of emergency procedures.
Kindergarten is an exhilarating and crucial time for your child. If your child uses school bus as the primary transportation to and from kindergarten you might be concerned about school bus safety. You would worry even though your kids are not alone and is under adult vigilance.
One of the best precautionary method is to educate your children with road safety rules. Kids should be knowledgeable about certain necessary rules which make them safe and secure.
Your child should be able to keep in mind that a school bus is similar to that of a classroom and the role of teacher is fulfilled by school bus drivers. Hence, you should make sure that your child behaves appropriately in a school bus, follows relevant safety rules, and obeys the bus driver.
Your child should know what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do inside the school bus.
School bus safety rules make your kid orderly and safe. Here's a list of school bus safety rules for kindergarten students, shown in the form of an infographic.
By altering the laws for schools, CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) has taken a further step to ensure school bus safety for students. As a result of this, a woman attendant is made compulsory in school buses.
As per the guidelines put forth by the Board, every school bus should make an arrangement for a female attendant to accompany children. This helps to provide student safety throughout the school bus journey.
Joseph Emmanuel, CBSE secretary, has informed to all affiliated schools that it is both the responsibility of school management and principal to successfully implement the above laws.
Nevertheless, most of the reputed CBSE schools are now ignoring all guidelines of Supreme Court and the CBSE board. The reason for this is that most school bus students are transported by private bus operators who claim that at the time of any mishaps or accidents, school authorities run from their responsibility, leaving the operators to face the consequences exclusively. Hence, they boycott every school bus safety rules.
It was said by a bus operator that the rules cannot be enforced, as parents may not be able to afford a highly equipped bus. Also, he added that the policy makers only consider major city regions of New Delhi and ignores the small cities in Delhi.
When you give advices continuously to your children, they get frustrated and irritated. One of the best ways to convey the idea of safety in children is to show and demonstrate those safety rules in front of them. There are certain safety rules that a child should know about and follow for their own safety.
As a parent, you can be the most influential teacher and this can help you greatly in persuading your child to follow certain safety etiquette. You can spend some time with your child to discuss about safety and explain about its importance. As a result of this, your child become more vigilant on the road.
The greatest risk for your child is not riding the school bus, but nearing or leaving the bus, thus children should be cautious when they are around the school bus. Hence, it is better for them to follow certain essential safety rules and regulations, so that they can enjoy a secure and delightful journey.
The parents of a special needs student, Hun JoonLee, who died after being left alone on a school bus thanked California Governor, Jerry Brown, for signing off a legislation in relation to equipping alarm system on school buses, that ensures passengers are not forgotten.
Hun Joon Lee's mother considers it as a blessing for the Governor to sign the bill that enables children who ride school buses to reach their destination safely.
Armando Abel Ramirez, Lee's school bus driver, failed to check the bus after dropping off students in the morning and locked it in the bus yard exposed to summer heat. He was charged for this serious crime.
According to the bill, proposed by Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), all school buses in California should be equipped with child safety alarms. When the bus is turned off, alarm system generates a noise and driver needs to put off the system which ensures that the vehicle is being checked.
The Bill also requires drivers to receive training in carrying out child-safety check procedures.
Mendoza assures that “The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law” protect every child to and from school everyday thereby putting an end to parent's misery regarding safety of their children.
Most of us send children to school via school bus due to safety reasons. But the fact is that, you don't know basic facts about your child's school transportation. You never try to know where your child is going, who is going along with them, and what happens when they reach the destination.
Here follows 12 questions that every parent should ask before the school bus trip and entire academic year:
1. At What Time will the School Bus Come?
You should ask school authorities about the arrival time of school bus before your child's first school day. Sometimes, transportation officials will never let you know about the delay in child's pick up. Hence as a parent, you should know these details in advance. You can ask the school transportation authorities about the bus scheduling in advance and thus send the child to the school bus at that time. Try to find out the exact time you should pick up your child from the stop.
2. Who will be on the School Bus with your Child?
A driver and an aide will always be there with your child for assuring school bus safety. You can interact with them, introduce yourselves and ask for their names. This can be helpful as you can tell them certain information they need to know such as a medical problem, behavioral problem etc. Also tell them to report any problems that happen on the school bus.
3. How Child's Behavior on the Bus?
Make sure your child has an appropriate seat if your child is small or having low muscle bones. You need to fix this issue with the relevant authorities and should be decided before the child's first day of school. Also, in the case of older children, the bus seat given to them should be appropriate and comfortable. For kids in wheelchairs, you should ask bus personnel, whether there are enough equipments for getting your child on and off the bus.
4. Which Route is taken by School Bus for Getting to School?
Try to learn the school bus route yourself by following the bus on the first day. This can help you to find about stops and check out the route to the school bus takes. You can complain to school authorities if the chosen route is a complicated one.
5. What Time the Bus Gets to School?
You cannot assume that the school bus reaches the school at the perfect time. For knowing about this in detail, you can build a good relationship with teachers and bus personnel. You can ask them about the schedule and thus know whether there is any change in it or not.
6. Where Do Your Kids Go After Getting Off the Bus?
As kids get off the bus, they sometimes go to auditoriums or canteen than going straight to classrooms. For the safety of your child in school bus, you can ask school authorities to provide an aide to make sure that they reached classroom rather than roaming here and there.
7. Are all of my Child's Classmates on the Same Bus?
It is a good idea to keep your child's classmates on the same bus. But it is not possible. You can discuss with your child about their bus journey. This will help them to remember which students are on which bus and the number of the bus your child's classmates are on.
8. When Does the Bus Leave to Come Home?
As a parent, you should confirm the departing time of the bus so that you can plan to pick them up accordingly. Sometimes children in extra classes dismiss their classes earlier than the regular school schedule.
9. Which Route does the Bus, Take Home?
Usually, school buses take the same route to school as it takes from school. Your child may sometimes get on a different bus to get down to different location. In such case, you should find out the route that particular bus takes, and thus you can have a general idea about where your child is.
10. What Time will the Bus Return?
It is your responsibility to make sure that somebody greets your child when they are dropped from the school bus. Always know the exact time by which the school bus return and thus makes proper arrangements to pick them.
11. Who Takes Complaints?
You can ask contact details of school authorities and thus register complaints at the time of emergency. Thus you can contact them, if there is any problem in school bus transportation.
12. Is School Bus Ride the Best Choice for Your Child?
School bus is the best one for kids in special education. If you have the ability to transport your child yourself, then better do that task than sending your child via school bus.
All these 12 questions should be asked to relevant authorities at the right time for ensuring a safe journey for your child.
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