Imagine the school bus as more than just a vehicle. It’s a moving community where students of all ages share space, laughter, and sometimes tensions. While the school bus is a safe and secure way to get to school, certain risks still linger. Let’s explore the major safety and security issues students might face and discuss the steps schools can take to address them. This is not an exhaustive list, but these challenges frequently affect students every day.
1. Bullying and Misbehavior
For Mia, riding the bus home each day was nerve-wracking. The back seats, where older students sat, were a breeding ground for bullying. The bus driver, managing a moving vehicle, often couldn’t see what was happening behind them. Unfortunately, Mia’s story isn’t unique. Bullying and misbehavior are common on school buses due to the limited supervision and close quarters. Schools can tackle this issue by installing cameras, including live-streaming cameras that allow school officials to monitor behavior in real time while drivers focus on the road. Other tools include seating charts that enable schools to separate students who are a problem. Training bus drivers to identify signs of bullying and encouraging them to get to know students by name can also make a big impact. Engaging students in anti-bullying programs can foster a sense of responsibility among students themselves to protect each other.
2. Traffic-Related Accidents
Though school buses are one of the safest ways to travel, accidents can happen. In 2022, a minor collision involving a school bus made the news in a small town. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident highlighted a constant risk. Traffic-related accidents, though rare, can be fatal. Common causes of these accidents include driver distraction, which can sometimes be due to managing student behavior, and unsafe actions by other motorists. Schools can help by making sure buses are equipped with seat belts, and by advocating for ongoing driver training focused on defensive driving techniques and managing in-bus distractions. Involving local authorities in awareness campaigns about sharing the road with school buses can also help reduce accidents.
3. Illegal Passing by Other Vehicles
One of the most dangerous situations is when a car ignores the flashing stop sign of a bus. Sarah, a bus driver, recalls how close she came to witnessing a tragedy when a car zoomed past her stopped bus as a student stepped off. In New York alone, about 50,000 cars illegally pass stopped school buses every day, endangering young lives. To combat this, schools can install external cameras to capture license plates of violators. Partnering with law enforcement to issue fines or penalties can serve as a deterrent. Educating the public about the dangers of illegally passing school buses is crucial to keeping children safe.
4. Disembarking at Incorrect Stops
Jacob’s mother panicked when he didn’t get off at his usual stop. It turned out he had mistakenly disembarked at an earlier stop and was unsure how to get home. This happens more often than we think—students, especially younger ones, can end up alone and disoriented. Schools can mitigate this risk by using ridership technology that not only tells parents and school officials where students board and disembark, but also proactively checks that students are getting off at the correct stop. A student will swipe their badge as they exit, and if they are at the correct stop, it will let the bus driver know. If they are at the wrong stop, it will provide the driver and student with a warning. Training bus drivers to double-check the students’ stops, especially for the youngest riders, can also make a difference.
5. Being Left on the Bus
After a long day, five-year-old Emma dozed off in her bus seat, only to wake up hours later in an empty, parked bus. Though cases like Emma’s are infrequent, they highlight a real concern. No child should be left on a bus alone. Even with the addition of post-trip inspections, these situations occur regularly. This is also another place where ridership technology can help. If students swipe onto and off the bus, the system will assure that all students who should have gotten off at a stop do and informs the driver when someone has not. Schools can prevent these situations by establishing mandatory post-trip inspections, ensuring that drivers physically check each seat before leaving the bus. Installing child-check reminder systems can help bus drivers remember these important steps.
6. Working Together for a Safer Ride
The safety of students on school buses requires more than just policies; it demands a community effort. Parents, bus drivers, school administrators, technology, and even other students all have roles to play. By understanding the risks—bullying, accidents, illegal passing, wrong stops, and children being left behind—and by taking practical steps to address them, we can help ensure that every student’s ride is a safe one.
Let’s work together to turn the school bus into not just a vehicle for transportation, but a vessel for safety, growth, and community. Consider assessing your current bus safety setup or reaching out to Transportant for an assessment to ensure the highest safety standards are in place.
The top 5 actions schools can take to address these issues are:
1. Install cameras, including live-streaming cameras, to monitor student behavior and support bus drivers in maintaining a safe environment. Improving student behavior can also reduce driver distractions while driving.
2. Equip buses with seat belts and provide ongoing driver training focused on defensive driving and managing in-bus distractions.
3. Install external cameras to capture license plates of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses and partner with law enforcement to issue penalties.
4. Use ridership technology to ensure students are getting on and off at the correct stops, providing warnings if a student attempts to disembark at the wrong stop. This will also reduce the risk of having a student left on the bus.
5. Establish mandatory post-trip inspections and install child-check reminder systems to prevent students from being left on the bus.
References
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – School Bus Safety Data
- New York State Department of Transportation – Illegal Passing Statistics
- National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) – Bullying on School Buses
- School Bus Fleet – Common Causes of School Bus Accidents
- Journal of School Safety – Effective Use of Ridership Technology
