Getting to school safely, part two: Traveling by car or bus

Regardless of what your family’s back-to-school preparations include, one thing that is universal is the need for children to get to school safely. In the first of this two-part series, we discussed safety tips for pedestrians and bicyclists.

While walking and biking are ideal ways to get to school, they aren’t always feasible for families. In this post, Erin Summa, health promotion coordinator for Mary Bridge Children’s Center for Childhood Safety, shares tips for safely transporting children to school by car and bus.

Riding or driving to school

If you or your child are driving to school, the most important thing to do is buckle up, take your time and pay attention.

“Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for kids,” says Summa. “It’s not worth shaving a few seconds off your drop-off by driving too fast.”

In addition to slowing down and practicing awareness, here are other important tips to remember when in the car:

Follow school policies. Most schools have specific procedures for drop-off and pickup to protect students and keep parking lot traffic flowing as efficiently as possible.

Know restrictions for teen drivers. In Washington state, new teen drivers receive an intermediate driver’s license that restricts when they can drive as well as who can be in the car with them.

Share the road. Never block crosswalks. Always yield to pedestrians, obey school crossing guards and stop for school buses when their lights are flashing.

Sit in the back. Children under 13 in Washington are required to ride in the backseat. This protects them from the most common type of car crash — front impact — as well as airbag deployment injuries.

Review updated laws. In 2020, Washington state’s revised child restraint requirements went into effect. Know what kind of car seat or booster seat is required for your child.

Stay buckled. Make sure kids stay in their seats with their harnesses or seat belts fastened until the car comes to a complete stop in the drop-off/pickup line. Kids should not put on their backpacks until they are exiting the vehicle.

Taking the bus

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, students are approximately 70 times more likely to get to school safely when traveling by bus than by car.

“School buses are statistically the safest way for children to get to school,” says Summa. “And although we love when school buses have seat belts — this is true even when they don’t.”

If your child is going to be boarding a bus to school this academic year, keep in mind the following:

Supervise. Accompany young children to the bus stop and wait with them until they get on.

Stand back. When waiting for the bus, it’s a good rule of thumb for children to stand six feet, or three big steps, away from the edge of the curb.

Be patient. Children should wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before getting on or off and should board one at a time.

Cross with care. On the way home, children may need to cross the street after exiting the bus. Instruct them to take five big steps away from the front of the bus and make eye contact with the driver before crossing. Children should never walk behind the bus.

Alert the driver about dropped items. If your child drops something near the exterior of the bus while getting on or off, they should ask for help. Children should never try to retrieve a lost item themselves.