By: Joshua Dieker, District Representative 
                                     
It’s that time of year again. Parents are breathing a sigh of relief and kids are just sighing. For thousands of students in this district and around the country, school is back in session. With the end of summer comes the return of yellow busses, school zones, and lots of extra foot traffic in the morning and after school. Since the safety of each and every youngster making the trek to and from school each day is so very important, this is a good time to highlight a few back to school safety reminders, and to encourage parents and other caretakers to talk with their school children about safety.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 24 million students nationwide travel to and from school every day on the bus. It’s important for parents to take a little time each year to remind their bus-riding children how important it is to stay out of the street while waiting for the bus, and to carry all loose belonging in a bag or backpack. If they do drop something under the bus, it can be tempting to reach or crawl underneath to retrieve it. This must not be done under any circumstances. If something is dropped under the bus, the student should tell the bus driver right away, and he or she can help them retrieve it safely.

In addition to waiting in a safe place, away from traffic, bus riders need to be reminded to wait until the bus has fully stopped and the doors have opened before approaching it to get in. A good rule of thumb is to stay at least ten steps away from the bus unless you are getting on or off. That way the driver can see you. If a rider must cross the street after getting off the bus, it is very important that they wait for the driver’s signal that it is safe to cross. The bus will extend its stop sign so that other vehicles will wait for students to cross, but because not every driver is always careful about observing the sign, it’s important to wait for the driver, who can see the traffic in both directions, to give the go ahead to venture out across the street.

Young children, in particular, should be accompanied to and from the bus stop every day. This will both help protect their safety and ensure they learn safe bus stop behavior that will protect them as they get older. A printable activity booklet and game are great resources from the NHTSA that contain bus stop safety reminders for kids. Taking a little time to go over the do’s and don’ts of bus stop safety can ensure that young children are equipped to make good decisions and stay safe on their way to and from school.

Whether you have children in school or not, you should be a little more cautious anytime you’re in your vehicle during the school year. Take extra care when backing out of your driveway or leaving your garage. Children can dart in and out of view, so be certain to check all around you before you put the car in reverse. Also remember that the stop sign on a school bus is not a suggestion. To stop for a bus with its sign extended is just as much a law as stopping for any other stop sign. In Kansas, the fine for failing to stop for a school bus with its sign extended is $300 plus court costs. In comparison, the inconvenience is a small price to pay, especially when it helps ensure the safety of our kids.

If students, parents, and drivers alike are all conscious of these tips, everyone can be assured of a safer school year. It’s easy during the summer to forget just how important it is to slow down and pay extra attention in those school zones every morning, but simply being aware of the many students traveling to and from school everyday can help save the lives of children.