| October 17-21st is National School Bus Safety Week. The theme for the week is "Be Aware- Know the Danger Zone!" The danger zones are those areas around the bus that it is difficult if not impossible for the bus driver to see students when loading and unloading the bus. The Danger Zones are the most likely area for a Bus and Pedestrian to make contact. It is important that the Bus Driver is aware of these areas but it is especially important that the students are made aware of these areas. The three Danger Zones are:
- The Front of the Bus
- The Passenger Side
- The Rear of the Bus (including the left rear wheels)
There is a Poster Contest that can help Teachers and Students talk more about the Danger Zones and the importance of knowing where they are. The theme for the poster contest is "I See the Driver- The Driver Sees Me". It is important to stress to the students that they need make eye contact with the driver and the driver needs to acknowledge that they see the student before the student crosses in front of the bus.
Some quick tips for Drivers and Danger Zones are:
- Count the Kids Away
- Know where each child is before moving the bus
- When In Doubt - Get out and look
The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) has many resources and information regarding bus safety. The home page of the website is http://www.naptonline.org the click here to go directly to the School Bus Safety Week information.
If your school district is part of the MSGIA's Property and Liability School Leaders Self Insurance Pool (SLIP) then you have access to online Bus Driver Training programs that qualify for the 10 hour annual training requirement for OPI in Montana. If you are interested in this training or need to the username and password to access that training please contact us at 1-877-667-7392.  |