Thursday, September 4, 2008

The wheels on the bus go round and round...



Just thought I would share some pertinent info for anyone who's child is taking the school bus for the first time:

Ontario's school population includes over two million students. Of those, over 800,000 use school buses every day. This includes children who are bused from rural areas and children who participate in special programs, such as French immersion, as well as those who use school buses for field trips.
Research conducted by Transport Canada shows that school bus travel is one of the safest methods of transportation - and is 16 times safer than travelling in the family car, based on the number of passengers and kilometres travelled. Although school buses have an excellent safety record, mishaps can happen, and injuries can result. These can include both children riding on the bus and children who suffer injuries as a result of being hit by their own school bus or by other vehicles.

Rules for getting on the bus safely:

  • Be at the bus stop on time.
  • Never run to or from the bus.
  • Wait at the designated stop in a safe place well back from the side of the road.
  • Remember the danger zone around the bus. The danger zone is anywhere close enough to the bus to touch it. The bus driver cannot see you when you are in the danger zone.
  • If you cross the street to get on the bus: when the bus comes, wait until it has come to a complete stop. The bus driver will make sure all the traffic stops. The stop arm will be out and the red lights will be flashing.
  • Watch the driver. When the driver knows it is safe, he or she will signal you to cross, but watch for traffic yourself.
  • Walk, don't run.
  • Hold the hand rail as you get on the bus. Don't push or shove.

Rules for Safe School Bus Riding:

  • Take your seat promptly and sit properly, facing forward at all times.
  • Hold bags and parcels in your lap.
  • Do not stick your feet into the aisle: someone might trip.
  • Keep your head and arms-everything-inside the bus.
  • Don't throw anything out the windows or around in the bus.
  • Talk quietly. The driver must concentrate to drive the bus safely.
  • Save snacks for snack time at school or till you get home. They may spill or you may choke if the bus goes over a big bump.
  • No fighting, shouting or playing in or around the bus.
  • Always follow the bus driver's instructions.

Rules for leaving the bus safely:

  • When you leave the bus, hold the handrail and take two large steps away from the bus.
  • To cross the street in front of the bus, walk ahead at least ten giant steps (three metres). Cross only when the driver gives a signal. Cross the street in single file.
  • If you drop something near the bus, don't pick it up. Tell the driver or other adult.
  • If everyone is getting off the bus, the people at the front leave first. Do not push.

If you don't stop for a school bus, you can be fined $400 to $2000 and get six demerit points for a first offence. If you break the rule a second time, the penalty is a fine of $1000 to $4000 and six demerit points. You could also go to jail for up to six months.

School buses are designed to protect passengers through "compartmentalization". This means that school buses have:

  • seats with high backs
  • the seats positioned close together to form compartments
  • seats filled with energy-absorbing material
  • strong seat anchorages

Parents also need to be aware of additional information about seat belts:

  • to be effective, seat belts must be worn correctly (snug and low on the hips) for full protection. Seat belts which are not correctly worn may cause injuries.
  • because school vehicles carry passengers from the very young to high school students, seat belt fit must be readjusted and use monitored to ensure safety.
  • because of increased use, seat belts on school buses are subject to more wear and tear, and their condition must be monitored.
  • studies using dummies have shown that adding seat belts to the current school bus seating arrangement can actually increase the chance of head and neck injuries in restrained passengers.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I actually found one of these in my coffee mug at work a couple of weeks ago.....