When it's time to get the kids back to school each year, you know your life is going to get a little bit busier. And, you can't spell “busy” without the word “bus.” Which is exactly what we’re going to be talking about in today’s article: bus safety and etiquette for parents and kids. Let us know in the comments or on social media if you have some additional tips or ideas for bus safety! 

As A Driver

During the school year, if you have to drive to work each morning, you will most likely encounter several school buses on their way to pick up kids for school. Here are a few safety tip reminders to help you and the people around you stay safe on the road.

• Do not pass a stopped bus with its stop sign extended, even if there is another lane of traffic
• Drive with caution when you are nearing a bus stop because kids may be rushing to catch a bus and may not see you or be paying attention to your car
• Watch for crosswalks during the school year
• Slow down and obey all speed laws in or around school zones
• Don’t follow a school bus too closely. They have limited visibility of cars that are directly behind them
• Be prepared to stop at all railroad crossings if you are behind a bus

Waiting For The Bus To Arrive

If you drop your kids off or wait with them at the bus stop, then here are some safety tips for you.

• Make sure your kids stay at least three big steps back from the curb at all times, until the bus comes
• Dress your kids in high visibility shoes, or backpack tape, or clothing in general to help them stay visible along roads and as they get to and from the bus stop
• Kids must avoid roughhousing or playing with balls or throwing objects like frisbees at the bus stop
• Don’t approach the bus until it has fully stopped and traffic around the bus has stopped. The bus driver will usually open the door and motion to the children when it is safe to board 
• Tell your children not to talk to strangers who approach the bus stop or accept rides from anyone who isn’t their regularly scheduled bus and driver
• Make sure your kids’ shoes are snuggly tied and their backpacks are closed and secured to help prevent your child from tripping over their laces and dropping something from their backpack and running back in the road to go retrieve it

Conclusion

We hope that this article about bus stop safety and education was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started.