St. John Ambulance Wants Families to Review School Bus Safety
August 30, 2010 (Toronto, ON) – With back to school fast approaching, many parents are anxiously awaiting the sight of the big yellow school bus coming to ferry their children away. But it’s important to remember that the size of the bus and the activity within create some unique safety challenges. So before you pack your kids up for their first day remember to review school bus safety with them.
Outside the Bus:
- Teach children about the bus danger zones, these are blind spots where the bus driver is unable to see them, or there is a risk of being hit. Once they know the danger zone, have them stay clear
- Be on time. The less of a rush your children are in the less likely they are to make a safety mistake
- Whenever attempting to cross in front of a bus, make sure they wait for a signal from the driver before crossing. It is important they are acknowledged by the driver to make sure they are not at risk of being hit
- Do not approach the bus until signaled by the driver
- Never walk or play behind a bus
- If they drop something in front of the bus remind them not to pick it up. If they disappear from sight, the bus driver may assume they have left. It is safer just to leave it until the bus is gone or to ask the driver for assistance
On the Bus:
- Children should listen to the directions of the bus driver
- Keep all appendages inside the vehicle
- Avoid roughhousing, no yelling, jumping or throwing things – anything that could distract the driver
- Keep the aisles clear
For more information on safety, or to sign your children up for youth first aid classes, visit
www.sja.ca.
For over 125 years, St. John Ambulance has been training over 140,000 Ontarians annually in first aid and other health care related courses and remains dedicated to saving lives at work, home and play. With over 4,000 volunteers contributing over half a million hours of community service a year, St. John Ambulance is an integral part of the community offering such unique and innovative programs as: medical first response, disaster response, car seat clinics, health and safety related youth programs and therapy dog services. As a charitable, humanitarian organization, proceeds from St. John Ambulance’s first aid training and first aid product sales directly support these vital community services programs. For more information on St. John Ambulance training courses and volunteer opportunities or to contact your local branch, visit
www.sja.ca/on