Author: sam.bailey

The information is this booklet may be modified to accommodate your location, however the credits on the cover page must be included.

Hi! My friends and I will tell you how to be a “Safe Rider!”

Activity booklet to help Parents/Guardians discuss school bus safety with first time riders.

Safe Rider!

Presented to you by: Sam Bailey, Transportation Director.
Biloxi Public Schools, Mississippi.
(Not for retail)

April 2011

Be sure to have everything in your book-bag just like Chris.

Make sure we do not stick out.

Pete

Look! My hands are free!

Keep me zipped and closed with your name inside.

Sorry... I am not safe for a school bus.

This book-bag is the right size for me!

This book-bag is not safe for my size!

Be sure to have a walking buddy. It could be . . .

Friends

Family or Relatives

A neighbor

Dress for the weather . . .

Chief

Rain Warm Cold

Never talk to strangers! No matter how friendly they are.

No pets at the bus stop!
Keep them safe at home.

Never play at a bus stop! Someone could get hurt.

Roads can be very dangerous. . .
Remember: Motorists cannot always see you.

A

Which bus stop is safe:
A or B

Children must not stand in the street or sit on the curb.

B

Answer: A

Wait for the bus to completely stop.

Stand 10 feet away from the street.

Wait your turn in a line.

Should you ever run behind or beside a school bus? Yes or No

Color the happy bus!

Answer: No

Connect the numbers and color the picture.

Quickly get seated!

Wait your turn in a single file line.

Remember the Danger Zone!

No pushing!

Keep the floor clear.

Use your indoor voice!

Let’s make a happy bus!

Stay seated!

Talk only with the person next to you.

Remember!
No eating or drinking!

Will loud talking and laughing also distract the driver? Yes or No

Answer: Yes

Loud noises are unsafe!

Let’s get you home safely!

Listen to the driver!

Have a walking buddy and go straight home!

Never cross in front of the bus without the driver’s permission!

Riding the school bus is fun!

I have new friends!

Hi! I am Taylor! We are safe riders!

It’s cool to be a safe school bus rider!

Safe
Rider !

Following the rules will help us keep you safe!

1. Do bus stops have specific location requirements?
A: Bus stops should at least meet these requirements:
Walking distance three (3) tenth of a mile or less.
Centrally located to encourage safety in numbers.
In full view of motorists to alert presence of students.
Primarily placed at a corner, lit and provide a good surface.
Least disruption to public traffic flow.
Number of route stops limited to allow timely delivery.
2. Who is eligible to receive school bus service?
A. Children residing one (1) mile or more from school.
3. My child resides under one-mile. Can she ride a school bus?
A. If these elements are met:
(1) School buses cannot deviate from the most efficient route to school.
(2) The bus must also be able to accommodate other non-eligible's.
(3) If the bus is crowded, equality requires all non-eligible riders be
notified and removed.
4. Why not a public school bus to pick up and drop off at the day-care?
A: Day-care center is a business for profit. Many of them provide their own transportation services. Be sure to check before registering your child with them if transportation is a concern.
5. Is a tuition student eligible to receive school bus service?
A: No. Routes are designed to serve residents within our District limits.
6. Can my child get a bus pass to spend the night at a friend or relative’s house?
A. No. Buses are not for convenient assistance. Seating is reserved to provide transportation to and from the child’s assigned residential bus stop.
7. We have joint custody. Is it possible for our child to have two bus assignments?
A. No. Unfortunately, dual custody will require to reserve a seat on two buses for the same child. A child is designated to one bus with a seat assignment.
8. I have a work schedule hardship. What should I do?
A. Try these options first: Make arrangements with family, friends, neighbors. Check on space availability at the Boy’s and Girls Club, YMCA, and other such youth clubs or day care centers.
A. As a last resort, contact the school district transportation department. Understand, assistance is very limited. However, some temporary relief may be available for extenuating circumstances.
9. Where are the school bus rules posted?
A. School bus rules are listed in the student handbook provided at registration. Drivers will remind a student of a safety rule when it is not being followed.

Compartmentalization / Seat belt

“Compartmentalization, once it has done its energy absorbing job, leaves the student free to escape the bus. Seat belts could leave students strapped in, upside down, perhaps unconscious, in burning or flooding buses,” according to School Transportation News.
School bus seat belt frequently asked questions answered by School Transportation News. Visit their website to read more: http://www.stnonline.com/resources/seat-belts/seat-belt-faqs
Why don’t large school buses have seat belts like cars do? One reason seat belts are not required on school buses is that the greater weight and mass of a school bus means that passengers are less vulnerable in a school bus than in an automobile, and they sit above the usual point of impact.
What exactly does compartmentalization mean? And why is it so important? Broadly, the term compartmentalization denotes a safety envelope or "compartment" around passengers in school buses. The idea is that if a crash occurs, the child may be thrown around within the compartment but the design of the seat compartment absorbs the crash forces and protects the child.
Is compartmentalization the reason why school bus seat belts are not required Compartmentalization is more manageable. The protection exists and is in force without depending on any action by the children or any extra special supervision by drivers or monitors. Seat belts require discipline and supervision to keep them clean, unraveled, in use, and properly adjusted.
If seat belts are required in school buses nationwide, what will be the effect? Cost? These costs increase to the tune of about $7,000 to $16,000 per bus for three-point lap/shoulder belts that require not only more material but stronger anchorage points and bus floors, according to school bus vehicle and school bus seat manufacturers.
Why not just retrofit the existing fleet? Wouldn’t that be less costly? Bus manufacturers have stated they won't assume any liability if their buses are retrofitted, and it is unlikely insurance companies will either.
Aren’t 3-point lap/shoulder safety belt systems safer than 2-point lap belts? 3-point lap/shoulder occupant protection systems have become the preferred solution.
Hasn’t there been a great increase in school bus injuries in recent years? Maybe. But the problem is that no one knows for sure. American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 study gauged all emergency room visits by students over a three-year period that were tied to any school bus injury, such as those resulting from a crash, a student fight, slipping down on the stairwell, etc.
Why are 39-inch seats for three children when they will accommodate only two? This has since changed, National Minimum Standards for School Buses standardized seats on 13-inch rump width for children through about sixth grade. It absolutely did not work for junior high and high school.

Seat belts continued . . .

Why are school bus seats spaced so closely together? The basic purpose in spacing school bus seats so closely is to "contain" the child in a cushioned compartment with a minimum amount of space between energy-absorbing surfaces.
Why do small buses or mini-buses have seat belts if large buses do not? Seat belts are required on small school buses under 10,000 lbs G.W.W.R. by FMVSS No. 222. The reason for requiring safety in small school buses is that these vehicles are closer in size and weight to passenger cars, light trucks and vans, and thus do not automatically afford the same protection of the heavier, larger school buses.
What is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 222 all about? This regulation, titled School Bus Passenger Seating and Crash Protection, specifies occupant protection requirements for school bus passenger seating and restraining barriers.
How much does it cost to add seat belts to school buses? $10,000 to $15,000 to the cost of a new school bus. Maintaining, repairing and replacing damaged belts can add $500 or more per bus to annual maintenance costs.
What about retrofitting existing buses? Retrofitting is a very controversial subject. Mainly because no one knows the condition of the outside of the bus floor to meet FMVSS 222.
Seat belt / Compartmentalization cost impact on the ridership:
States with School Bus 3-Point Seat Belts: CA, TX, FL, and NJ are some of the states that equipped large school buses with seat belts. School buses in those states travel at near interstate speeds, up to 65-MPH. School bus riding eligibility distance begins at two (2) miles. Walking distance to a bus stop for an elementary student can range from six (6) tenth of a mile, as seen in Texas, up to 2 miles known in parts of Florida. Transporting children under the state 2-mile limit requires a district to burden the finances as seen in New Jersey. California has a school district arranging a school bus riding payment plan not to exceed $600 per family.
Compartmentalization: Other states such as Mississippi continue to regulate permissible maximum speed. This means not to exceed 45-MPH while traversing students to and from schools, and no more than 50-MPH for activities. Eligibility to ride a school bus is one (1) mile or more from school. Walking distance to a bus stop for elementary averages 3-tenth of a mile and less.
Mississippi legislators and the governor passed Nathan's Law, April 2011: Under the new law, fines for stop-arm running will range from $350 to $750 for a first offense and $750 to $1,500 for a second or subsequent offense, which will also result in a driver's license suspension of 90 days.