It doesn’t matter if your children wait at the school bus stop on their own or by your side, it’s critical to follow a variety of safety tips to help prevent a serious accident.
Here are four safety tips that all children, regardless of age, should follow when waiting at a school bus stop:
- Remain visible: It’s imperative to remain visible to the bus driver at all times. If a bus driver doesn’t see a child, they don’t know that they’re in the area. This greatly increases the risk of an accident. As a general rule of thumb, your child should stand a minimum of three feet away from the road until the bus stops.
- Wait for the cue from the bus driver: Even though your children may be excited about hopping on the bus, they shouldn’t head for the door until the bus driver gives them the “all clear.”
- Take caution when crossing the street: Many school bus stop accidents happen when crossing the street, either before getting on the bus or after getting off. For instance, when your child gets off the bus, they should do the following: Make eye contact with the driver, move a minimum of five feet in front of the bus and then wait for the driver to tell them to cross.
- Listen to the bus driver: Since you’re not on the bus with your children, it’s up to them to listen to the bus driver. Neglecting to do so, such as standing up while the bus is in motion increases the likelihood of an accident.
Even if your children follow these school bus safety tips, you may still have concerns about an accident. And for good reason. Every year, children are injured and killed in school bus accidents across the country.
If your child suffers an injury in this type of accident, be sure that they receive immediate medical treatment. Also, contact the school and police to ensure a proper investigation.
As your child recovers from their injuries, collect information pertaining to the incident, such as the police report, and take steps to seek compensation for your child’s injuries and related damages.