How Safe Are Kids on Buses?
None
Our children are the most precious thing we have. Children are the future, of course, but they're also the present. Children bring joy, love, and countless other varieties of goodness to lives of everyone they meet, every day.
And yet, each day we as a society agree to ship our children to and from school in lunky, rusting buses with no seat belts. Buses are efficient, sure, and most of us can remember a time when we ourselves went to school via bus. But how safe are school buses, really? Let's take a look at a few of the dangers posed each day to our kids on their rides to school.
Road Safety
When a child is in a bus, that child is on the road. Even if buses were the safest form of transport around, they would still be only as safe as the roads on which they ride. Poorly cared for roads are dangerous.
If your child rides the bus to school, you might want to check out the roads that he or she is taking. If you see something that looks unsafe, report it to your local government. And if things look good, you'll be able to relax with the knowledge that your kids are free of danger.
Driver Competence
Every bus needs a driver. And when it comes to picking that driver, a bus company can't always afford to be particular. Laws regarding who can and can't drive a bus vary from place to place, but many places have shockingly low standards. You wouldn't let some college student you don't know drive your car, so why would you be okay letting a young stranger drive an entire bus full of children twice a day?
If you're a parent, there are a few things you can do to ensure your children's drivers are good. For starters, you could walk to your kids to their stop and introduce yourself to the driver. If you're concerned with what you see, you could get involved with local groups to advocate for an increased required age for bus drivers.
Danger from Strangers
The good thing about a bus is that it's public and full of people. The bad thing is that your child needs to stand outside and wait for it. In order to keep your children safe while waiting for the school bus, you can try a few things. First, you can make sure they get there soon before the bus arrives, making sure there's not much waiting time. Second, you can educate your kids on stranger safety and appropriate behavior. Third, you can make sure the bus stop is within eyeshot of your house, allowing you to keep an eye on your loved one for the entirety of the wait.
Bus Safety is for Everyone
Luckily, serious bus crashes are relatively rare. In all likelihood, your children will arrive to school and to your house without an incident. Nonetheless, accidents do occur, and as a parent, you need to keep your eye on potential dangers. Make sure your roads are up to code, the drivers are competent, and your children are not left at their stops for long periods of time. You'll be glad you did.