It’s back-to-school time, which means students and school buses are back on the road. Whether you’re driving a fleet vehicle or just your personal car, this 90-second video covers what to do in the event of a bus stop.
Parents should also remind their children about bus safety guidelines, such as staying seated, using seat belts if available, and crossing the road only when the bus has come to a complete stop and the driver signals it’s safe.
Share this refresher video with those in your community to help keep school bus stop safety top-of-mind.
Enhancing Bus Stop Safety: An EHS Perspective
From an Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management standpoint, the area around school bus stops poses measurable risks that require proactive controls. While school buses remain one of the safest modes of transportation, incidents related to pick-up and drop-off zones are among the most preventable hazards children face during their school day.
Whether you’re a school administrator, transportation safety coordinator, or EHS professional, ensuring the safety of students at and around bus stops should be a key part of your risk mitigation strategy.
1. Site Selection and Hazard Identification
Bus stop placement should undergo a formal site hazard assessment. Stops located near intersections, blind curves, or heavily trafficked roads introduce unnecessary risk.
Best practices include:
- Conducting a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) of proposed stop locations.
- Ensuring clear sightlines for both bus drivers and approaching motorists.
- Verifying adequate lighting and surface conditions, especially during low-light hours.
- Evaluating proximity to potential environmental hazards (e.g., storm drains, construction zones, high-traffic parking lots).
Regular site audits should be scheduled, especially in growing communities where traffic patterns and infrastructure change frequently.
2. Behavior-Based Safety Training for Students
Just as employees are trained on safety procedures, students benefit from age-appropriate behavior-based safety (BBS) education. Young children often lack the hazard awareness necessary to navigate traffic environments without guidance.
Key concepts include:
- Remaining 10 feet from the roadway until the bus comes to a complete stop.
- Making eye contact with the bus driver before crossing in front of the vehicle.
- Never approaching the bus from behind or attempting to retrieve dropped items without alerting the driver.
- Staying alert and minimizing distractions (e.g., electronic devices, horseplay) while at the stop.
Schools and transportation departments should partner to offer ongoing safety briefings, especially at the start of each school year.
3. Understanding the Bus Danger Zone
The “danger zone” is the 10-foot perimeter around a school bus where visibility is limited and injury risk is highest. This zone includes blind spots directly in front of and behind the bus, as well as along the sides near the rear wheels.
Mitigation strategies:
- Educate students to stay out of this zone at all times.
- Install safety mirrors and camera systems on buses to increase driver visibility.
- Include this topic in annual driver refresher training and student safety briefings.
These measures align with EHS principles of controlling hazards at the source and reinforcing safe behaviors.
4. Motorist Compliance and Community Enforcement
Motor vehicle operators are a key external factor in bus stop safety. Failure to stop for school buses is both illegal and dangerous.
To reduce this risk:
- Implement community awareness campaigns in partnership with local law enforcement.
- Install stop-arm cameras to monitor and penalize violations.
- Advocate for enhanced signage or flashing beacons in high-risk zones.
EHS leaders can help local governments develop data-driven approaches by tracking incident trends and near-miss reports involving bus stop locations.
5. Parental Supervision and Safety Modeling
Parental involvement is a frontline control, especially for students in early elementary grades. Supervised stops have been shown to reduce risk significantly.
Recommendations for guardians:
- Accompany younger children to and from the stop when possible.
- Encourage group supervision by rotating among parents.
- Reinforce consistent messaging around safety expectations and situational awareness.
Modeling safe behaviors aligns with the EHS principle of creating a safety culture—starting at home and continuing through the community.
6. Environmental Conditions and Seasonal Risks
Slippery sidewalks, poor visibility, and extreme temperatures add layers of complexity to bus stop safety. EHS programs should address seasonal hazard mitigation.
Practical controls include:
- Ensuring stops are cleared of snow, ice, or debris before school hours.
- Encouraging use of high-visibility outerwear in low-light conditions.
- Allowing additional buffer time for safe pedestrian travel during inclement weather.
Facilities and transportation staff should coordinate on weather-related contingency planning, especially in regions with harsh winters or frequent storms.
7. Continuous Improvement Through Collaboration
An effective EHS strategy relies on cross-functional collaboration. Transportation departments, school administrators, facilities managers, and safety consultants must work together to identify, assess, and control bus stop risks.
Suggested practices:
- Establish a Bus Stop Safety Committee to review incidents and recommend improvements.
- Integrate bus stop assessments into larger district-wide safety audits.
- Track KPIs such as incident reports, near misses, and compliance rates to evaluate the success of interventions.
With a structured approach rooted in EHS management principles, schools can significantly reduce risks and safeguard students during the most vulnerable parts of their commute.
