With Fall comes cooler temps, shorter days, and darker mornings. And if you have children who are out and about at early hours, waiting for the school bus, this lack in light could pose a threat. That’s why at this time of year, it is especially important to inform your children on how to stay safe while they wait at the bus stop.

About this time last year, in just three days, five children across the country were struck and killed by cars as they waited for their bus to school. These tragedies are not the only instances of recorded reckless driving at bus stops, however. In 2018, bus drivers from 38 states reported 83,944 cases of vehicles illegally passing their stopped bus in a single day. By this statistic, there are an estimated 15 million safety violations at bus stops with every school year. In consideration of these alarming numbers, your children must be informed on how to stay safe as they await their ride to school.

Kids face a greater risk when…

• They are rushed. If they are running late to the bus, they are more likely to forgo essential safety habits.
• They have little traffic experience or have an insufficient understanding of moving vehicle precautions.
• They assume that drivers can see them at all times
• They do not stay within eyesight of the bus driver

How to keep your kids safe:

Be sure that you inform your kids on how to remain safe at their bus stop. In consideration of darkening mornings and the potential for careless driving, be sure that your children are prepared. Remind them to always:

• Stand six feet away from the road at all times until the bus driver opens the doors and welcomes them aboard. Doing so will ensure their sufficient distance from the road.
• Arrive five minutes early before the bus’s scheduled arrival. This will limit any need for rushing and acting carelessly.
• Never cross behind the bus. And when crossing in front of the bus, first make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for their instruction to cross safely.
• Before crossing the road, make sure to look to the left and the right to make sure that no traffic is coming.
• Board the bus in a single file line. This will limit each child’s time spent in the “danger zone,” or the space between the sidewalk and the bus.

As a parent, you may also consider accompanying your children to the bus stop on at least a few occasions. And if you feel at all uncomfortable with the location of your child’s bus stop, do not hesitate to speak with the school district. They will gladly change the site in the name of optimized safety.

While these safety precautions are exceptionally valuable, some cases of reckless driving are unavoidable. If you or a loved one have been injured by a careless motorist, be sure to reach out for legal counsel. In this challenging time, you must receive expert legal advocacy so that you are fairly compensated. We at Peach and Weathers are your trusted Redlands personal injury lawyer, and we are here for your assistance. Call on us today!