NEWS RELEASE: July 28, 2006
FROM: The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT: LT John Eichkorn 785-296-6800
Trooper Edna R. Buttler
Troopers Conduct Safety Inspections for School Buses
The start of the school year is around the corner, and to ensure children are transported safely to and from school, Kansas Highway Patrol troopers are inspecting school vehicles across the state. The annual inspections ensure the vehicles comply with safety regulations and will load, transport, and unload students safely along our roadways.
Troopers are visiting each school district and inspecting more than 8,000 school vehicles’ mechanical conditions and equipment. A bus that passes the inspection will display a blue sticker of approval in the corner of the windshield. Buses that do not comply with safety regulations cannot be used to transport students until all defects are corrected and a trooper rechecks the vehicle. Last year, Patrol personnel inspected 8,645 school vehicles.
“Inspecting school buses each year is an important process to ensure children are transported safely across the state,” said Patrol Superintendent Colonel William Seck. “However, protecting children goes beyond examining the buses’ mechanical systems. Drivers should be aware and drive cautiously near bus stops and cross walks, and parents should talk with their children about loading and unloading buses and looking both ways before crossing the street.”
Although school buses are one of the safest means of highway transportation, getting on and off a bus can be dangerous. The Patrol offers the following safety tips for parents, children, and motorists before the school year starts.
CHILDREN SHOULD
Not hurry to get on or off the bus. They should arrive at the bus stop early and wait at least five feet away from the road. Instead of running off the bus, children need to stop at the bus’s edge and look both ways twice for oncoming traffic before crossing the street.
Think before stepping. Before a child tries to board a bus, the bus should be stopped, its door fully opened, and the driver should motion the child forward. Kids must learn the importance of watching for traffic before getting off the bus or crossing the street, because drivers may not see them.
Only go where the bus driver will see them. Tell children to walk in front of the bus, never behind it or along its sides. If they drop something, they need to tell the driver and wait to make sure the driver understands before trying to pick it up; the bus driver is less likely to see a child bending down. In addition, a child is less likely to drop something in traffic if he or she carries the school supplies in a backpack.
Try not to let clothes, shoelaces, book bags, or other items get caught on the handrail or door of the bus.
Obey the driver on the bus while sitting face forward in the seat, using an inside-voice, and not sticking anything out the windows.
DRIVERS SHOULD
Know it is illegal to pass a school bus stopped to load or unload students. In Kansas, the fine for this potentially deadly violation is $300 plus court costs.
Learn that yellow flashing lights mean the bus will soon stop to load or unload children. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms mean the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off, so motorists must stop their cars. Before pulling forward, motorists should wait until the bus’s stop arm is withdrawn, the red flashing lights are off, and the bus begins to move.
Remember that children may not be thinking about safety. Slow down and watch for children walking in the street or on sidewalks, or playing or gathering near bus stops. Be on the alert for children who may dart into traffic. Also, watch for children walking and on bikes when backing out of a driveway.