School Bus Safety 2010 for the Drivers

WASHINGTON (GaeaTimes.com) — Lets be together in making school bus safety a priority today. The Minnesota State Parol alerts the drivers and reminds them of their safety rules on the eve of school year, which is yet to begin.

More than 24 million students nationwide travel by school bus. Children are the bright future of this nation. Keeping in their safety, drivers should be more cautious while driving the school buses. Children are also prone to face accidents while crossing the road or while they are on a queue to board the bus. parents should make sure that their children properly cross the road and get into the bus.

The drivers should follow the following rules:

• Motorists must stop their vehicle at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights and/or its stop arm is extended when approaching from the rear and from the opposite direction on undivided roads.
• Red flashing lights on buses indicates students are either entering or getting down the bus.
• Motorists are not needed to stop for a bus if the bus is on the opposite side of a separated roadway (median, etc.) but they should remain alert for children.
• Changing a route or schedule to avoid a bus is one way motorists can help improve safety. In doing so, motorists won’t find themselves behind a bus and as a result, potentially putting children at risk.
• Watch for school crossing pedestrians. Decrease speeds in and around school zones.
• Watch for pedestrian traffic and prepare to stop if a pedestrian is approaching the intersection.
• Stop for pedestrians the law applies to all street corners, for both marked and unmarked crosswalks.

Lets hope to make 2010 a safe year for the school children.