School Bus Safety Week: Safety Tips for Bus Drivers

Each year, the third week of October is recognized as National School Bus Safety Week, a public education program designed to address the importance of school bus safety. Much of the focus of this week is around promoting school bus safety tips to students, parents, and drivers to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries related to riding the school bus. While buses are considered the safest form of ground transportation because of their size and construction, this week is an important opportunity to reinforce important school bus safety rules to both your school community and your bus drivers.

Safety Tips for Bus Drivers

Many state Departments of Education and/or Departments of Transportation share resources and guidance for school bus safety for students, parents, and drivers. These school bus safety tips for bus drivers are shared on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website, and provide some important reminders during School Bus Safety Week.

• Always do a pre-trip inspection prior to every run to check for mechanical defects that could jeopardize safety.
• Be reliable and dependable - Your students count on you every day!
• Establish a positive relationship with your students. You are the first authority figure they encounter, and you set the tone for the day.
• Prohibits children from standing on the bus while the bus is in motion.
• Check to make sure all of the children unloading from the bus are at a place of safety before deactivating light system and moving the school bus.
• Do not allow children to exit the bus before all traffic has come to a complete stop and the safety equipment has been engaged.
• After unloading all children at the school or after your last stop, make sure to do a post-trip of your bus and check to make sure that no child has been left on the bus.
• Prohibit students from barricading the aisles and the emergency exit.
• Be prepared to act appropriately in emergency and crash situations. Your actions could mean the difference between life and death.
• Be sure to provide adequate instruction so that every student is familiar with school bus emergency procedures and equipment use, as well as the safe loading and unloading procedures.

Driver Training Resources from Vector Solutions and the School Bus Safety Company

For more in-depth training for your bus drivers, explore the School Bus Safety Company driver training, available through the SafeSchools Training System. Proven to reduce accidents by nearly 50%, these engaging courses include key practices that every bus driver should know to keep your students safe!

Reduce Accidents & Risks with School Bus Driver Safety Training with training courses on topics like: 

• Entry Level Driver Training: Supplemental to our Driver Training course, this course will help your new drivers understand the theory and behind-the-wheel topics required for Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) under MAP-21.
• CDL Written Test Training: These eight interactive courses can help drivers prepare for the challenging Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) written test. Help your applicants pass the test the first time with this easy-to-understand training.
• Transporting Students with Special Needs: Safely and correctly transporting students with special needs can be challenging for drivers. These eight interactive courses address issues to help your drivers provide the most professional service possible.
• Bullying Prevention on the School Bus: This course will help your drivers understand the difference between conflict and bullying. Drivers will learn how to set the stage for a bully-free bus, recognize bullying, and stop it to keep students safe.
• School Bus Safety Program for Students: Support administrators, teachers, and parents in delivering critical training to keep students safe on and around the school bus. This program teaches PreK–12 students about school bus safety, bullying prevention, and emergency evacuations.

To learn more about our driver training, request a demo.