by Borden Black
Summer vacation is at an end, and students and parents are back in the routine
of a new school year. With all of the new experiences, safety may not be top of mind,
but now is a good time to ensure that your child’s daily trip to the classroom is as
uneventful as possible.
School Bus Safety
Twenty-four million students across the country start their school day with a trip
on the school bus, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA). In Muscogee County, Russell Curry, director of transportation services,
estimates more than 20,000 take the bus to school. He points out that according to
the statistics, it is the safest mode of transportation. Nonetheless, school-bus-related
crashes killed 164 persons and injured an estimated 18,000 persons nationwide in
1999, according to NHTSA data. Over the last six years, the statistics show about
70% of the deaths were occupants of vehicles other than the school bus, 20% were
pedestrians and only about 4% were school bus passengers.
Far too many children end up in foster care. But for the fortunate ones, grandparents
step in and provide stability, love and a sense of family continuity. “There wasn’t a stable home environment,” explained Richard Knevals, 66, who,
along with his wife, recently received legal custody of their three young granddaughters. “We were afraid if we didn’t step in, the girls would end up in foster care.”
Curry, who was a bus driver himself at
one time, says there are some simple rules
children should follow and parents need to
reinforce:
• Use handrails while getting on the bus
• Go directly to your seat
• Remain seated when the bus is in
operation
• Keep your hands, feet and body parts
to yourself
• Do not distract the bus driver
• Above all, show respect for the driver,
who is the person in authority.
Getting on and off the bus is more dangerous than riding it. Although drivers of all vehicles are required to stop when a school bus is stopped to load or unload, Curry says many fail to do so, and so children should not rely on them. The National Safety Council encourages parents to teach their children when waiting for the bus to stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. They should also wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.
Curry says the district tries to arrange routes so that children do not have to cross the road. If they do, he cautions they should wait for a signal from the bus driver before they begin to cross the street. And they should walk in front of the bus because the driver’s visibility is better.
When exiting the bus, children should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, exit from the front using the handrail to avoid falls and cross the street at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
Curry says other drivers are the big problem. He says last year buses were hit in the rear eight times by people who claimed not to see them. “Pay attention to the stop arms,” he warns. “Be aware of the kids. They will do kid things.”
School bus rules and regulations are in the student handbook, and Curry urges parents to read them and make sure their children understand them.
Bike Safety
Another common mode of transportation,
particularly for elementary kids attending
neighborhood schools, is the bicycle. The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
estimates that each year about 800 bicyclists
are killed and more than half a million are
treated in hospital emergency rooms.
The American Red Cross reports that major accident patterns associated with bicycles include: collision with a car or another bicycle, loss of control, mechanical and structural problems, entanglement of a person’s feet, hands or clothing in the bicycle, and foot slippage from the pedal.
All new bikes are required to meet safety
standards by the CPSC, designed to help
eliminate injuries due to mechanical and
structural failures. Make certain that the
child’s bike is the correct size, is safely maintained
and has reflectors
The agency says regular maintenance is
essential for safe riding. Some of the recommended
fixes include:
• Align wobbly wheels for better control
• Replace all missing, damaged or worn
parts
• Tighten loose parts
• Inspect the frame and other components
for cracking
• Inflate tires to recommended pressure
• Lightly oil and clean moving parts
Almost two-thirds of the deaths and one-third of cycling injuries involve the head and face. Although helmets may reduce the risk of head injury to bicyclists by as much as 85 percent, only about 50 percent of riders wear them.
Lt. Renee McAneny, of the Columbus Police Department Tactical Operations unit reminds parents that Georgia law requires children under 16 to wear a helmet.
The helmet is designed to absorb the
energy of an impact in order to minimize or
prevent head injury. For that reason it
should have a snug but comfortable fit and
it must have a chin strap and buckle that
will stay securely fastened. Pam Fair, Safe
Kids Coalition leader, says you should do
an eyes-ears-mouth check. When the child
looks up, the helmet should be positioned
no more than one to two fingers above the
eyebrows. The straps should form a “V”
when buckled. When the child opens his
mouth as wide as he can, the helmet should
hug the head.
Riders should also wear the proper clothing.
It should be close fitting to avoid getting
caught in the moving parts of the bicycle.
Headphones should never be worn, as they hinder the child’s ability to hear traffic.
Lt. McAneny warns that all cyclists must obey the traffic laws that
apply to motor vehicles, like stopping at stop signs and using hand
turn signals. She urges parents to ride the route to school with the
child to make sure it is safe and that the child can handle it. “We find
some children don’t even walk to school safely, much less ride a bike
safely,” said Lt. McAneny.
Walking to School
Children who live within a mile of their schools often walk, but
there are rules and cautions for this mode of transportation as well.
Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety
of decision-making situations and dangers.
Fair says children should be taught to mind all traffic signals and crossing guards and never cross the street against a light, even if no traffic is coming. If there is a traffic signal, they should use the pedestrian push button and wait until the signal appears. If there is no signal, they should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right and then left again before crossing. “Make eye contact with a driver while crossing in front,” Fair suggests. She also cautions to walk, not run, while crossing the street.
If students’ vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should never dart into the street. Instead, move out to where drivers can see them, and where they can see other vehicles. Then stop and look left-right-left again.
Fair recommends always using the sidewalks or established path
if available. If children must walk in the road, they should face traffic
and stay left. “Also it is really important that they look to be seen,” Fair
said and explained, “Use retro-reflective tape on clothes, back packs
and sneakers.”
The National Center for Safe Routes offers a centralized resource of information on how to start and sustain a Safe Routes to School program. They are encouraging creation of safe settings where more parents and children can walk and bicycle to school. In the absence of such a program, parents need to plan a walking route for their child to school or to the bus stop. The national Safe Kids campaign recommends choosing the most direct route with the fewest street crossings and, if possible, with intersections that have crossing guards. The organization advises parents to walk the route with the child beforehand and tell him or her to stay away from parks, vacant lots, fields and other places where there aren’t many people around. Children should walk to and from school with a sibling, friend or neighbor and never talk to strangers.
Whether walking, biking or riding, children should know their home phone number and address, a parent’s work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies.
