School Bus Safety: National Bus Driver Appreciation Week Amy Smith, January 5, 2024February 27, 2024 This week is dedicated to the members of the United States Transportation Industry. Throughout their daily routes across the nation, they provide Americans with a comfortable and convenient mode of transportation to work, school, home, and entertainment venues. The USTI was officially established in 1944 under President Franklin Roosevelt following the end of World War II. Displaced personnel, looking to reintegrate into society, were provided with employment opportunities by the USTI. National Bus Driver Appreciation Week (NBDAW) was first established in 2007 during National School Bus Safety Week. National School Bus Safety Week has been set aside annually since 1988 on the third Monday of every October for children around America to learn the importance of National School Bus Safety. National Bus Driver Appreciation Week is an extension of National School Bus Safety week providing the nation with the opportunity to acknowledge and thank those who drive buses as a means of living, not just as a profession. Bus operators provide transportation services to over 2.5 billion passengers annually in America alone. This number appears to be on the rise. National Bus Driver Appreciation Week hopes to provide the nation with an opportunity to recognize and appreciate National Bus Operators and National School Transportation personnel for their sacrifices and commitment to serving Americans daily. To show their appreciation to the bus drivers, many schools, institutions, or bus companies would award them safe driver medals or pins on National Bus Driver Appreciation Week. They customize the medals or pins with the logo and their service years online. Which are honor awards to motivate the bus drivers to continue their good service. You can design your own safe bus driver medals or custom pins on GS-JJ. This would be a great way to show your appreciation on this day. The Importance of Teaching Your Children About School Bus Safety Whether it is school buses, school zones, or school crossing guards, school safety should be an important topic for every parent. As we celebrate National School Bus Driver Appreciation week, parents need to make sure that they emphasize school bus safety as part of their child’s school-year routine. This not only keeps the child focused on being safe on their bus ride but also helps the bus drivers when the children are being proactive about their own safety. Comprehensive school transportation studies show that most fatal school bus-related accidents happen when a school bus is either loading or unloading students at their school bus stop. Because of this, school buses are typically outfitted with cameras and other safety devices that can help to monitor student activity around the school bus stop. Even if your school district does not have these high-tech safety devices, there are still school bus safety rules that you should teach your child. All school buses are required to have various signs posted around the school bus-related to school bus safety, so children should always pay attention to these signs for school bus safety reminders. For example, school buses typically have red flashing lights that will start to flash consecutively before the school bus starts to move. Parents should teach their children that this flashing light means that it’s school bus safety rules time, so they need to be aware of their surroundings and school bus safety rules. Also, school buses are equipped with stop-arms on either side of school buses, so school bus safety may be taught by having the child practice “stopping, looking and listening” as school buses approach. As school bus drivers, we know that school buses are large vehicles that take a longer time to brake compared to other vehicles on the road, so school bus safety practices should start from a young age. As you teach school bus safety rules to your children, make sure they understand what each of these school bus safety rules mean. For school buses, school bus safety rules include walking at least 10 feet from the road when a school bus is stopped with flashing red lights and stop-arms deployed. Also, school bus safety rules include having a parent meet their child directly at the school bus stop every day so they know who to look for when they get off school buses. If your school district uses school bus monitors, school bus safety rules may also include walking in line with other students and staying in a group when they get to school or school bus stops. Drivers Should be Cautious when coming to a school bus Drivers are required to stop when they come upon a school bus that has its lights flashing and stop arm extended, but sometimes school buses have to deal with drivers that fail to yield. This can cause accidents that not only endanger school children crossing the street at the time but also poses a danger for the school bus driver. School bus accidents are always devastating, particularly when school children are involved. These school buses are big and heavy, yet school-aged children are small and vulnerable. When school bus accidents happen, many school-aged children suffer broken bones and concussions, in addition to other injuries such as paralysis. Some school-aged children die from the injuries they receive in school bus accidents. One school district in our area was dealing with drivers who didn’t stop for school buses that were loading or unloading school-aged children. The school district finally took the necessary steps to address this problem by installing cameras on school buses, which take pictures of license plates of cars that are too close to school buses and school children. One school bus driver reported that she had nearly been hit multiple times by cars that failed to stop for school buses when they should have, and this school bus driver is certainly not the only school bus driver who has dealt with this problem. If drivers cannot be more cautious around school buses and school-aged children, accidents could happen and school children could be seriously hurt and possibly killed. Drivers should be aware and cautious when school buses are involved in school bus accidents or school bus incidents, as school-aged children may cross the street at any time, even without looking both ways first. Ensuring children understand and practice school bus safety rules contributes to a conducive and secure environment, complementing the vital efforts in Teen Mental Health Treatment strategies. Ways to Show Appreciation to Your Child’s Bus Driver Bus drivers carry an enormous responsibility when it comes to transporting children from the bus stop to the classroom. They have a duty of care for their charges and can’t afford to lose concentration or be distracted while driving. In appreciation for this, many schools have organized appreciation campaigns in which students are taught about all the things they can do to thank their driver. Here are some ideas you can use at home to express your appreciation or appreciation for someone who drives your child around. 1. Make thank you notes/cards for the bus driver 2. Bake a cake/pastries/pie and give it to them as a gift 3. Give them a box of chocolates or a plant as a gift 4. Send them an appreciation letter 5. Clean the bus stop area 6. Make a special banner to greet the bus driver with every morning/afternoon 7. Make a little bag of snacks and a small thank you card or note, and give it to your child’s bus driver so they have something to eat and a note of appreciation at the end of their shift 8. Organize a small appreciation party with friends and family, where you thank them over food and drinks 9. Help your child make them a gift such as a photo frame or picture book 10. Make them a gift basket of snacks/drinks/food 11. Organize some appreciation day activities at school that involve taking appreciation photos or making appreciation cards 12. Help them create appreciation banners for the bus stop 13. Hand deliver appreciation gifts (such as cupcakes, flowers, small appreciation cards) 14. Invite them over for dinner or bring them some appreciation snacks/drinks throughout their shift Kids’ safety is not something to argue about — it is simply a priority. If, among other students, you plan to take part in the events dedicated to school bus safety, clear your schedule in advance, hiring WriteMyPaperHub to write your papers. Experts at this agency can cover over 60 topics for you if you can’t find time now to do it independently. Ask help from someone professional, and get seasoned writers at your service — live your life based on your priorities, not academic deadlines. Find a way to thank a bus driver, even if you do not have a child who rides a bus. They often are under-appreciated. Image by freepik.com Share on FacebookTweetFollow usSave Education Life bus driverbus safetyDriversEducationSafetysafety tipsschool busUSTI