Of all the driver safety guidelines detailed in state driving handbooks, school bus safety may quite possibly be the most important rule that gets constantly overlooked. The pupil transportation association of pennsylvania and the pennsylvania school bus association hold a pennsylvania school bus driver safe driving competition every june to test school bus drivers knowledge of safety rules and safe operation of their buses in two types of bus categories. Complete a school bus driver training program overseen by an authorized school bus driver instructor. Kansas central school bus experiences significant driver and staffing shortage due. School bus drivers their importance and training issued march 2000 background. Every day, drivers in other vehicles pass school buses while they are loading and unloading students, causing injuries and even death. Safety of students required to ride on school buses shall not be placed at risk by requiring operation of school buses, or other transportation.
The pupil transportation unit is governed by the pupil transportation act of 1990. School buses are picking up their passengers, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, harried parents are trying to drop their kids off before work. The school bus safety company provides training courses for school bus drivers and for the students, to teach the students school bus safety. Everything you ever wanted to know about driving expectations and requirements around school buses.
As school buses provide services for students to and from school and school activities, safety remains the departments number one priority. National school bus safety week held during the third full week of october each year, national school bus safety week is an active and evolving public education program and an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and other interested parties to join forces and address the. Of all the driver safety guidelines detailed in state driving handbooks, school bus safety may quite possibly be the most important rule that gets constantly. Every school bus driver begins their day by checking to make sure their bus is in good mechanical condition, and they usually have a company safety checklist to follow. Chesapeake public schools will equip more than 500 of its buses with new safety technology, which will include buspatrols stoparm cameras and zonars smart fleet technology. The georgia association for pupil transportation school bus driver safety competition may utilize all of the events listed in this manual in any sequence. The pupil transportation section ensures that school children in the state of tennessee are transported safely to and from school and school related activities.
Here are tips for drivers who share the roads with school buses, as well as some easy lessons to teach your kids about bus safety. All school buses must meet safety standards established by transport canada and the province. Ontario regulations require buses be driven by specially trained, licensed drivers with good driving records. Apply to safety trainer, manager in training, environmental health and safety officer and more. Appropriate vehicle class license, current medical and school bus driver s certificate. With this in mind, the department is committed to providing all transportation supervisors with highquality training and necessary resources to ensure that all buses are properly maintained. They are driven by professional drivers who have a. Our courses do change the behavior of drivers to avoid accidents and keep everyone safe.
School buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting children back and forth to school. Compared to driving by themselves or riding with friends, students are about 50 times more likely to arrive at school alive on a school bus. Driver safety tips when traveling in a school zone aarp. Sep 14, 2019 working as a school bus driver requires little formal education. School bus safety school bus driver training videos. School buses are protected incredibly well under u. Sharing the road with school buses if youre driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. Connected school buses combine safety, security, and network access in realtime so school bus administrators know what their buses are doing, where they are, and that students are safe. School bus safety tips for back to school consumer reports. Et and the disparate impact of coronavirus on communities at 7 p. School bus driver inservice safety series national. The main goal of the school bus transportation program is to properly develop and maintain the knowledge, attitudes, and skills required to provide a safe, reliable, and efficient student transportation system.
Children safety driving with school buses driver safety. The units major activities include administering the distribution of training funds in section 74 of the state aid act mcl 388. Stop for flashing red lights on a school bus, regardless of which direction youre headed. There are about 120 americans killed annually in this type of fatality. Note that you are required to meet all the continuing requirements. School bus safety tips for riders and drivers state farm. School bus safety kentucky department of education.
School bus safety tips safety tips for the children and. Our member organizations will be recognized as providing the safest, most secure, environmentallyresponsible and costeffective school bus transportation services. Learn about the training, job duties and licensure to see if this. When driving at night, it becomes even more critical to the safety of students, the public and the driver. Lets look at the top driving tips that bus drivers can adopt to make each trip safer for themselves, passengers, pedestrians and other drivers on.
Riding in a school bus is safer than walking, riding a bicycle, or being driven to school in private vehicles. Checking your blind spots, stopping for school buses and driving slowly, are a few driver safety tips to follow the next time you are in a school zone. Safety tips for school bus drivers operation lifesaver. There are approximately 9,500 school buses that pupil transportation inspects. School bus safety kansas state department of education.
Its important that we as motorists do our part for school bus safety. School buses are considered the safest form of ground transportation because of their size and construction. The connected concept uses innovative talk and telematics solutions including handsfree communication devices, smartphones and tablets, gps, safety dashboard reports, driver. Your child should not try to pick up the item, because the driver might not be able to see himher. Thats because school buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road, nhtsa says. Keep our children safe with these 4 tips on how to share the road with school buses. Transportation assistance allowance will not be paid in.
School bus driver inservice safety series refresher training this refresher training provides nine lesson modules on driving a school bus, which is frequently requested by school bus drivers and pupil transportation supervisors. School buses are designed to protect students through compartmentalization closely spaced seats and high, energyabsorbing seat backs. Every year, preventable crashes occur involving school buses. With 26 million students riding the school bus every year, according to the american school bus council, its important to use caution when driving near such beloved cargo. Night visibility and driving techniques 16 driving a school bus at night limits your visibility. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. Transportation safety school bus drivers are entrusted with the lives and safety of students whose value cannot be measured. The national school transportation association nsta is the leading resource for school bus transportation solutions. In 2017, school bus related crashes killed 95 people according to the national safety council. In minnesota, school buses make at least 10,000 school bus trips daily.
The unit provides a variety of programs, workshops, and seminars including medic first aidcpraed and the american automobile associations driver improvement program courses. School bus transportation texas department of public safety. School bus safety ministry of transportation of ontario. Continue your trip once the bus has moved, the flashing lights stop flashing or the bus driver signals its okay to pass. Bus driving safety round up tips and checklists january 15, 2016 neil leave a comment whether you drive a charter bus, shuttle bus, school bus, tour bus or city bus, you know that the lives of your passengers are in your hands every day, and we want to help keep everyone safe, including you. Designed for safety, with flashing lights, giant mirrors, stopsign arms and that bright yellow color, students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car, according to the national highway traffic safety administration. Local safety competition committees may use all twelve events as in the listed in this manual or a minimum of eight 8 events with any combination of their choosing.
Upon meeting a school bus with its lights flashing, stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the bus. Safety tips for school bus drivers for your safety as well as the safety of the children on your bus, always follow these recommended procedures at highwayrail grade crossings. Every day in kentucky, 9,822 school buses transport over 385,000 students on school buses. It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. For example, in ontario all school buses must have a front safety crossing arm. School buses are designed to protect students through compartmentalization closely spaced seats and. Back to school safety tips for drivers national safety council. As part of our safety awareness campaign in kentucky the kentucky department of education kde, along with paula allen. This safety record is the result of the interaction among several items the design and construction of the school bus. School bus safety training manager jobs, employment. Slow down, test your brakes and activate your fourway hazard lights about 200 feet before the crossing. Make school bus transportation safer for everyone by. They are driven by professional drivers who have a genuine concern for the wellbeing and safety of the children. School bus technology increases safety, efficiency for.
School bus safety texas department of transportation. The nhtsa national highway traffic safety administration has available a free school bus driver inservice training series. School bus safety florida school buses carry precious cargo our children. Back to school means sharing the road school days bring congestion. School bus driver inservice safety series this refresher training provides nine lesson modules on driving a school bus, which is frequently requested by school bus drivers and pupil transportation supervisors. According to the national highway traffic safety administration, school buses are the safest mode of transportation for children children are eight times safer riding in a bus to school than any other vehicles. Each year, pupil transportation provides mandatory four hour driver safety training. The most common fatality involving a school bus is to a motorist who hits the bus. This series of refresher trainings comprises nine programs on driving a school bus. National school bus safety week safety toolbox talks.
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