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This week, many parents have been busy packing lunches and backpacks, tying shoes and double checking supplies lists. Back to School is upon us. As personal injury lawyers, our focus is often on how to stay safe. Please check out our list below on how to prevent little ones from sustaining a school bus injury.

How to Prevent School Bus Injury

school bus injury

 

Small children are full of energy and curiosity, which unfortunately can put them at risk of a school bus injury if they are not closely supervised.

Here are some tips on staying safe before and during boarding the bus:

  • While waiting, children should keep a safe distance from the street and avoid roughhousing that may cause them to stray into the bus’ path
  • While the bus is approaching, ask the children to line up away from the street and wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before boarding
  • Make sure to use the handrail while boarding to prevent a school bus injury

Things to keep in mind while riding to prevent school bus injury:

  • Do not speak loudly or make sudden movements that will distract the driver
  • Keep all aisles free of books and backpacks in case the bus should need to be evacuated quickly
  • Keep hands, feet, and head inside the bus at all times to avoid a school bus injury
  • Stay in your seat
  • Gather all school materials before the school bus comes to a stop
  • Make sure the school bus has reached a complete stop before getting out of your seat

Things to keep in mind to prevent a school bus injury while getting off the bus:

  • Use the handrail to keep from falling
  • If the child needs to cross in front of the bus, make sure they know to walk at least 10 feet on the shoulder before crossing and teach them to be aware of whether the bus driver can see them before crossing
  • It is also imperative to teach children to realize if other drivers are alert and can see them before crossing the street
  • Teach children to wait for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street to prevent school bus injury
  • Make sure that the child still practices safe street crossing techniques after the driver’s signal, such as:  look left, look right, look left again, and to keep head on a swivel to recognize sudden traffic changes
  • Help your child understand that if their vision is blocked, they should move to another area where visibility is improved before crossing the street
  • Advise your children to stay away of the rear bus wheels at all times

If you discuss these school bus injury safety measures with your child, their ride is sure to be carefree. It may also be a good idea to take part in some role playing to act out these safety measures so that your child better understands the severity of a school bus injury.

If you or your child has been affected by a school bus injury, call our firm today at 314-862-7222 to discuss your legal rights.