Back to School: Safety at the Bus Stop

School starts this seek for the Northshore School District (Sept. 6 for Lake Washington School District), and that means thousands of children and teens will be walking to the bus stops.

Keeping those students safe is a partnership between parents, bus drivers, the students themselves and other drivers on the road.

“I just want to emphasize that we have an outstanding group of parents in this district who monitor the bus stops,” said Susan Rembold, bus driver trainer for the district. “We also have students who mentor other students to keep the bus stops safe.”

In addition to being trained in safety, drivers in the district are trained to help when there are behavioral problems at the bus stop. Any student who is having trouble with bullying or other behavioral issues can tell the bus driver (they can even pass a note to the driver if they prefer to keep under the radar of the bullies), the driver will make sure the school is alerted, said Connie Noll, transportation director for the district.

One way to keep kids safe is to have them arrive at a stop no more than five minutes before the bus is due, she added. Click here to find your bus stop (note: this site does not work in Firefox, NSD recommends Safari or Internet Explorer).

Tips for Parents

• All Kindergarteners are required to be met at the bus stop by a parent or designated adult.
• Understand your child’s school's regulations for walking to and from school.
• The safest place to cross the street.
• What the traffic lights mean.
• Who the safety patrol/crossing guards are and what they do to help children.
• Where to walk if there is no sidewalk.
• The best route to school.
• Not to ride with or talk to strangers.
• Not to walk between parked cars or buses.
• Encourage your child to walk in groups.
• Organize responsible adults to accompany the children as they walk to and from school.

Tips for Students

• Be safe! Be seen! Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see students during the daytime. But at night (or those dark winter mornings), carry a flashlight or wear special reflective material on shoes, cap, or jacket that bounces the car's lights off the student and back to the driver.
• Walk on the sidewalk or a walking path. When there is no sidewalk and students have to walk on the road, be sure to walk facing traffic.
• Always walk when crossing, the street, never run across the street to catch a ball or chase a toy, a friend, or a pet.
• Darting out in front of a parked car is dangerous; the driver of a car coming down the street may not see you.
• Cross at corners and use crosswalks whenever possible; always stay within the lines of the crosswalk.
• Use intersections with signals and pedestrian buttons whenever possible.
• Never go for a walk with a stranger. Only walk with someone who your parents say is okay.
• Know what the different signs and signals mean and always follow them.
• Be careful around parked cars; stop, look left, look right, and look left again before stepping out from between parked cars.

Tips for Drivers

Drivers must stop for a school bus when the “stop” paddle is out and flashing if:

• Traveling in either direction on a two lane highway.
• Traveling the same direction as the bus and on a road with more than two lanes of traffic.
• Traveling the same direction as the bus on a road with a two-way turn lane

To see a diagram of the rules check the district’s website here.