The school year may look drastically different this fall, but there is one thing that remains the same…school bus stop safety.
Getting to school safely starts at the bus stop.
Indiana State Police Jasper Post PIO, Sergeant David Henderson, explains what to do before heading out to a stop the first time.
“If your child is going to ride the bus, the first thing you need to do is to take your child to the stop and familiarize yourself and your child with a stop area,” he says.
When the bus is approaching to drop off or pick up students, make sure you stay away from the curb. Henderson explains how far you should be.
“Stay at least six feet off the curb and six feet away from where the bus will stop. And teach your kids to make eye contact with the driver whenever they get off and on the bus to let the driver know where they are,” Henderson says.
Dangers can also arise when waiting for the bus. Henderson says going over the basics of “stranger danger” is crucial to keeping kids safe.
“Never take a ride from a stranger at a bus stop. Try to talk to your kids openly about what to do if someone they don’t know comes to the bus stop and offers a ride, and encourage them to stay away from that person,” he says.
If your child comes home and says they noticed someone suspicious near the bus stop, Henderson says to report it immediately.
“If you see someone who’s acting suspicious or your child comes home and says there’s someone acting suspicious at or near the bus stop, please report them. If you or your child sees someone taking pictures or trying to approach a child, call 911 immediatly,” he says.
The same principle applies to strange packages, and if a student notices a firearm or a strange animal at the bus stop.
But Henderson says these aren’t the only incidents that should be reported.
“Encourage your children to report bullying and any other kind of activity from other children on or around the bus. A bus is by far the safest way we can transport our children every day. We need to encourage safety plans and hand talk to kids about what they can and can’t do on the buses,” he says.
Henderson says if you see something, say something. No matter how small it might seem.
For more school bus stop safety tips, head to safekids.org, call your local school district, or contact your local police department.
