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 To quote from a newspaper report "three school children died under the wheels of buses in the last four weeks; and 63 children are believed to have been killed on the roads (in Delhi) last year". At one time the school buses were considered to be the safest mode of transport for children to the school. But today parents are becoming increasingly anxious about the safety of their children. The greatest risk that a child faces is not while he rides the bus but when he is either getting on to the bus or getting down from it. Even while approaching a bus a child is exposed to a certain degree of risk.
According to the press report around 97 per cent of parents are anxious about the safety of their children in school buses and on roads. While the courts, governments and other authorities continue to do all they can to ensure the safety of children on the roads, we as parents have a primary and cardinal duty to let the children know the traffic safety rules so that they are safe while on the roads and commuting to and from school.
Before the children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is essential that they know the basic traffic safety rules.
 As parents we can organize pressure groups, which can initiate a campaign to plug in the loopholes in the system and ensure a safe travel for our wards to the schools.
First and foremost, we can prepare our children for a safe bus travel to the school. We can teach the children to follow some common sense practices to make school bus transportation safer.
- Get to the bus stop at the most five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
- Don't let the children arrive at the stop too early. They may be tempted to wander or get into mischief.
- In case they miss the bus they should get back home.
When the bus approaches, let the children stand at least 6 feet away from the kerb, and line up away from the street. The children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver/conductor says that it is okay before stepping onto the bus. If the children have to cross the street in front of the bus, let them walk on the footpath or along the side of the road to a point at least 10 feet ahead of the bus before they cross.
 Be sure that the bus driver can see them, and they can see the bus driver.
While in the bus the children should use the hand-bars to avoid falls. When exiting the bus, they should be careful that clothing with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the hand-bars or doors. Children should never walk behind the bus. If they drop something near the bus, they should tell the bus driver about it. They should never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see them. The children should be forbidden from running, pushing and horseplay!
School bus drivers can be instructed to adhere to the following instructions to ensure safety of the children under their charge. Let the drivers slow down and watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
- When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, they should watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
 When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, they should watch out for children who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking about getting there safely.
- They should slow down and be on the lookout for children walking in the street, especially if there are no footpaths in the neighborhood.
Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic; hence the drivers should be cautious while approaching regular bus stops. They should follow the traffic laws and know to alert motorists of pending actions.
Anoop Khanna
Asst. Manager (PR)
For further details contact:
Loss Prevention Association of India Ltd., (LPA)
Seethakathi Chambers, ( 4th Floor)
688, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 006.
Phone : 8524648, 8523920.
Fax: 8523746.
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