From the moment your child arrives at the bus stop, early in the morning, until he or she is off the school bus and inside the building, there are important safety tips for your school-age child to follow. We’ll provide four of them here. 
Tip #1 Bus Stop Safety
ConsumerReports.com provides an excellent overview about bus stop safety. Tips include your child arriving early, at least five minutes before the school bus is scheduled to arrive. Teach your child to stay at least six feet away from the curb, and to stay there until the driver opens the door and says it’s safe to board.
If your child ever needs to cross in front of the bus, teach him or her to cross far enough in front that the driver can see him or her at all times. Children should use handrails on the bus and make sure their backpacks, coats and the like don’t get caught in the railing when they exit. Make sure your child knows to never walk behind the bus and, if he or she drops something near it, to make sure the driver knows about the object before your child picks it up.
Tip #2 Lap and Shoulder Safety Belts
Not all buses have lap or shoulder belts on them but increasing numbers of them do, with some states now making them mandatory. In Ohio, this topic is being debated in the state legislature. If Ohio House Bill 680 passes, then all passenger seats on school buses will be required to have restraining devices by July 1, 2019.
If your school district already has these devices, make sure your child understands that he or she must use them.
Tip #3 Etiquette While Riding a Bus
The National Bus Council shares safety tips for when your child is actually riding a bus. They include:
- speaking at a reasonable volume
- not creating loud noises that could distract the driver
- staying in the seat
- keeping all body parts inside (no hands or head out the window)
- keeping aisles clear
- being prepared to exit the bus when the time comes, with all belongings in order, but waiting until the bus has completely stopped before standing up
Finally, when exiting the bus, the rules are similar to those shared in tip number one, and it’s just as important that they’re followed.
Tip #4 Stay in Bus Safety Mode
After your child rides the bus back home, it’s easy for his or her mind to turn to what the rest of the day will hold. But, it’s important that your child not run across the street to catch up with friends, so explain why waiting another minute as the bus pulls away makes all much safer. This bus safety tip is by CBSNews.com, with the article offering two more that we’ll share.
The first is, if your child will need to cross the street after exiting the bus, teach him or her the eye contact rule. This means, before he or she actually leaves the bus, your child makes eye contact with the driver to get an all-clear signal first. The second is to remind your child to not run back to the bus to retrieve a belonging that he or she forgot. The impulse could be strong, but the driver may already be looking at the road, not at a child who is running toward the bus.
When your school-age child follows these safety rules, riding a bus can be an enjoyable time for your child to interact with friends both before and after school.
