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August 16 2005
Kennett, MO - On Thursday, hundreds of children will be saying good-bye to summer vacation and stepping onto a big yellow bus that takes them to school.
Last year 26 students were killed and another 9,000 injured in incidents involving school buses, according to the National Safety Council.
Kevin Pate, Kennett School District's maintenance and transportation supervisor, said that there has never been a student injured in an accident involving a school bus in the district.
"There's been some fender benders [involving the buses], nothing major," he said. "And 99 percent of the time it's the other motorists fault."
In an average school day, 13 routes are transporting approximately 750 to 800 students in the Kennett School District.
"For the children, they need to stay at the bus stop and not roam around," Pate said about what safety tips children should follow when waiting for the bus.
Pate also advises other motorists should be aware that a school bus can stop at anytime.
"People see that big yellow bus coming down the road and they speed up to try and make it before the bus stops," he said. "A life's much more important than getting somewhere a few minutes quicker."
Motorists should be aware that if they are seen doing something illegal around the bus, the drivers will call the police and report them.
The drivers for the Kennett School District are all certified to drive the school buses. In fact, they will all be required to pass an S-Endorsement test before September 1.
"Before we just had to have the P-Endorsement, which stands for passenger" Pate said of the special license bus drivers are required to have. "Now we have to pass the S-Endorsement, which stands for student. It wasn't an easy test."
Pate said that the drivers had to score at least an 80 percent on the 20 question test. Of all the Kennett bus drivers that have taken it, all have passed.
"Every five or six years, there is some new test that we are required to take," he said.
The National Safety Council has released the following school bus safety rules:
Getting on the school bus
* When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness. Do not stray onto streets, alleys or private property.
* Line up away from the street or road as the school bus approaches.
* Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before stepping onto the roadway.
* Use the hand rail when stepping onto the bus.
Behavior on the bus
* When on the bus, find a seat and sit down. Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed.
* Never put head, arms or hands out of the window.
* Keep aisles clear - books or bags are tripping hazards and can block the way in an emergency.
* Before you reach your stop, get ready to leave by getting your books and belongings together.
* At your stop, wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat. Then, walk to the front door and exit, using the hand rail.
Getting off the school bus
* If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk at least twelve-feet ahead of the bus along the side of the road, until you can turn around and see the driver.
* Make sure that the driver can see you.
* Wait for a signal from the driver before beginning to cross.
* When the driver signals, walk across the road, keeping an eye out for sudden traffic changes.
* Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver has signaled that it is safe for you to begin walking.
* Stay away from the bus' rear wheels at all times.
Correct way to cross the street
* Children should always stop at the curb or the edge of the road and look left, then right, and then left again before crossing.
* They should continue looking in this manner until they are safely across.
* If students' vision is blocked by a parked car or other obstacle, they should move out to where drivers can see them and they can see other vehicles - then stop, and look left-right-left again.
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