20 Must Know School Bus Safety Rules for Kids

20 Must Know School Bus Safety Rules for Kids

Parents, you are always on a roller coaster of emotions when your precious little one starts going to school. The first thing that you do is ensuring safe transportation. Your child will begin their day with a trip to school along with many others on a bus and end their day with a trip back home.

School Bus Rules for Kid’s Safety

Children often get excited sitting with their friends and peer on the bus and often end up being careless about their safety. It’s important that you discuss school bus safety tips with your children so as to keep them alert and safe at all times.

Let’s look at some important and crucial school bus rules for students to follow.

Getting on the Bus Rules

  1. Parents, make sure your child’s bag is packed and ready for school so as to avoid last minute scurrying for essentials.
  1. Tell your child to walk on the sidewalk. Like a good pedestrian, your kid must walk on the sidewalk. If your child is young, make sure you walk them to the bus stop and wait until the bus arrives.
  1. It is important that you inform your child of the repercussion of not following road safety. Make sure they never run across the road and to pay attention while crossing the road to get to the bus stop.
  1. Parents and children are often seen running to catch the bus as they are late. It’s always a good idea that you and your child reach five to ten minutes early. In case of a delay, tell your child to wait for a few more minutes until the bus arrives. There is no predicting traffic!
  1. Your child should always be alert when the bus is arriving and must maintain a safe distance of three meters from the road so as to avoid any kind of accidents.
  1. Stranger danger is a real issue when your child is at the bus stop. It is important that you educate your child on not engaging in any conversation with strangers.
  1. Before boarding the bus, make sure your child knows to line up at the designated bus boarding point. They should be careful while climbing on and must hold on to the handrails so as to avoid any injuries.

Child about to board school bus

Behaviour in the Bus

  1. Your child should make sure they get to their seat quickly and carefully. In case the bus begins to move, your child should know to hold on the seat railing to maintain a balance and get to their seat without any issues. Your child should also know that they must be seated facing forward.
  1. Children on the bus can get very excited meeting their friends and will want to have a lot of fun. But, you should explain to your child the drawbacks of making a lot of noise on the bus. Tell them that the bus driver can be distracted due to the noise made, which can endanger everyone on the bus.
  1. In case your child wishes to speak to the bus driver, tell him he has to wait until the bus has come to a halt. This avoids the driver from being distracted from the road.
  1. Children often are seen eating and/or drinking on the bus causing a lot of mess. Let your child know that he must not eat and/or drink anything other than water on the bus.
  1. They should also know not to throw any items out of the bus as it is considered littering.
  1. Children often are not careful of their belongings while on the bus. Explain to your child that they must keep their bags and other belongings together and carefully on their lap, under the seat or in the overhead space.
  1. Inform your child to keep the aisle of the bus clear and to not move around while the bus is still moving. Tell them that it is unsafe and dangerous to do so and could lead to being injured.
  1. They should also know to follow instructions given by the driver in case something is to happen. Your child should be well aware that they should not be played with and only used during emergencies.

Children sitting in a bus

Getting off the Bus Rules

  1. Tell your child that they must move from their seat to de-board the bus once the bus has come to a complete halt. As they get off, tell them that they must exit in an orderly manner, using the handrail for safety.
  1. Make sure your child knows to let the passenger in front of them exit first. Tell them that they should be polite and must not rush, push or pull while waiting to exit.
  1. While getting off the bus, tell your child to ensure that they are careful of not getting their bag straps or clothing caught on the handrail. Also, to be careful on the steps and to de-board careful so as to not slip and avoid and injury.
  1. Teach your child that they must walk at least ten feet ahead of the bus in case they must cross the road to get home or to school. This distance helps the driver see your child as they cross.
  1. Children can sometimes forget and leave things behind on the bus. in the case of such an incident, tell your child that they must not return to the bus as entering a moving bus can be dangerous. Your child needs to inform the driver immediately so that they can stop and the child can enter.

It takes a while for children to know the importance of school bus safety, but make sure to remind to follow the rules and to be safe. These simple guidelines should keep them safe while enjoying their trip to school.

Also Read: 15 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Kids