pedestrian and school bus safety

Pedestrian Safety

Cars are becoming an ever increasing danger for our children, as communities get more congested, people get in bigger hurries and drive faster, and more people get cars. Around 700 children die each year from pedestrian injuries. Another 40-50,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for pedestrian injuries, and suffer debilitating effects. Children 4 and under account for more than 40 percent of pedestrian injury-related deaths. Some other alarming facts to think about: Nearly two thirds of drivers still speed in school zones, and nearly half of all drivers violate stop signs where children walk.

·	Teach children to stop, look and listen before they cross the street. They should stop, look all ways for traffic that is coming, (not just two ways), and then cross the street. They should continue looking around them even while they cross the street.

Teach children to never chase anything out into the street. If a ball, pet, or anything else goes out in the street, never chase it. Stop and watch where it goes, then call an adult to go get it or cross the street very carefully yourself. Avoid this from happening by not playing any games near the street in the first place.

·	Make sure that children understand, just because they see a car does not mean the driver can see them.

·	Talk to them about how quickly cars can stop. That by the time somebody sees them, has time to react, and then puts on the brakes and the brakes work, it could take quite a while. Be sure they give themselves plenty of extra time anytime they cross the street.

·	Try to get children under the age of 10 to never cross a street alone. Young children often have not developed enough judgment to calculate speed of oncoming cars and determine the adequate time needed to cross.

·	Never let toddlers play outside in the front yard. Nearly 10 percent of all child pedestrian related injuries occur in driveways, and children ages 4 and under account for 80 percent of those.

School Bus Safety

School bus related accidents kill approximately 100 people per year, and injure another 18,000. Children inside the bus are relatively safe, and deaths from children inside the vehicle is rare, but it is everything outside the bus that is dangerous.

·	If at all possible, try to provide supervision for your children while waiting at the school bus. Drive or walk them to the bus stop, and be there to pick them up upon return.

·	Teach children to stay away from traffic while waiting for the bus. Never play around or play games that could cause a child to forget and run out into the street.

·	Teach children proper behavior while in the school bus. School buses pose a threat to not only children, but also to others outside of the bus, such as other pedestrians and cars. Explain to them, that unruly behavior could distract the driver, causing an accident that could kill someone else.

·	This proper behavior includes: Being quiet for the driver, sitting down on your seat, keep your head and arms inside the bus, and avoid horseplay that could distract the driver.

·	If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least 10-20 feet ahead of the bus, and cross very cautiously. Be aware that other cars might try to pass the bus, so be on the look-out for cars coming from behind the bus as well.