National School Bus Safety Week, held to remind parents, students, teachers and motorists about the importance of school bus safety and to recognize the work of school bus operators, was held from Oct. 19 through 23. The theme of this year's observance, which takes place each year during the third full week in October, was "Red Lights Mean STOP."
Locally, the Twin Valley School District utilizes Eshelman Transportation of Mohnton and Krapf School Bus of West Brandywine to transport its students.
Cindy Mather, director of transportation for the Twin Valley School District (TVSD), provided safety tips suggested by the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT).
When waiting for the bus to arrive, children should stay away from the street and wait until the bus has stopped and the door has opened before approaching the bus. When boarding and exiting the bus, children should always use the handrail.
While on the bus, students should use their inside voices to avoid distracting the driver; stay in their seats and keep their hands to themselves; stay away from the windows and aisles; keep the aisles clear of their belongings, including books and bags; and wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from their seat.
Those who have to cross in front of the bus should first walk at least 10 feet ahead until they can see the driver and he or she can see them. Children should wait for a signal from the driver and then look left, right, and then left again before crossing. They should never cross the center line of the road until the driver signals it is safe and they should stay away from the rear wheels of the bus.
Further, according to a statement by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association (PASBA), it is illegal to pass a school bus within the roadway as it drops off or picks up passengers, regardless of the direction of approach, as indicated by the bus's red lights.
Mather added that special safety measures have been put into place by the TVSD in light of COVID-19 such as cleaning the buses, social distancing and limiting the number of students on the bus. The district's Health and Safety Plan can be viewed at http://www.tvsd.org/pandemic.
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