Parents &
students

Informed parents are the missing link in school bus safety.

Parents should learn their state's school bus laws and regulations and their school district's transportation policies and procedures. Parent support for strict behavior rules for the bus ride can make a huge difference in safety - bus driver distraction is one of the most common causes of school bus accidents. Most school bus drivers and transportation supervisors today are deeply dedicated to child safety, and the safety record of school buses in most communities has greatly improved over the past generation. In tough budget times, parent involvement can help school boards remember the importance of high safety standards.

Is bullying a concern?

PTSI's Bullying Prevention Campaign

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Many parents of young children and children with special needs and conditions are understandably concerned about the possibility their children will face threats and harassment from other students on the bus. The school bus is one of the most common areas for bullying to occur during the school day.

Ironically, school bus drivers are forgotten about when schools launch anti-bullying programs. Parents should insist that bullying prevention programs address the bus ride as well as activities inside school buildings. PTSI's Growing Respect campaign fills this gap.

Students

Kids Page NYS DMV
Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

Kids Activities from NHTSA

Parents

Passing Motorist Handout

School Bus Stops: A Safety Guide to Transporters, a PTSI book

The Relative Risks of School Travel -- NRB Special Report 269

PTSI Student Training Materials

Web Links --
Some favorites

School Bus Information Council

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- School Bus

National Transportation
Safety Board

A free checklist to help you better understand your local transportation operation.

School buses are the safest mode of transportation for getting your child to and from school. Having said that, issues and concerns do arise.

Addressing the informational and safety concerns of parents is one of the reasons we developed our School Transportation Safety Assessment Checklist.

This checklist contains our criteria for a model school transportation operation and will hopefully help you identify and clarify your particular questions.

Many school budgets are tight and change is sometimes slow, but a positive and persistent approach will bring results in time.

You and your child

Because children are most at risk as they board or exit their school bus, one of the most important ways parents can help protect children is by reinforcing safe boarding and exiting procedures:

Providing their children with highly visible outerwear and making sure long drawstrings or straps are removed;

Providing children with backpacks to reduce the chance a an item is dropped near or under the bus;

Making sure their children are at the bus stop a few minutes early and supervising them as they wait for the bus.

Insisting that their children behave in an orderly fashion during the bus ride (distracting the bus driver as children are getting or off the bus is extremely dangerous).