With all of the excitement surrounding the first day of school, distractions abound.
That’s why the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium has been busy recently, travelling to schools in the county to provide its First Rider program.
Junior and senior kindergarten students and their parents or guardians gathered Wednesday at Monsignor Lee Catholic School in Orillia to learn about school bus safety.
“It’s super-successful and it increases in attendance every year,” said Sean Levasseur, a safety and accessibility officer with the consortium, which transports 36,000 students throughout the county. “It’s designed to alleviate the concerns and fears people have on the first day of school.”
After watching a brief video, the kids and adults boarded buses and went for a short ride. When they returned to the school, the parents exited first and Levasseur showed the children how to safely get off the bus.
“We do it to eliminate fears the students might have and any concerns moms and dads might have,” Levasseur said. “The safety of all of our students is the No. 1 priority of the consortium.”
Safety tips
When you board or leave a bus:
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Be at the bus stop before the bus comes.
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Wait in a safe place well back from the edge of the road — don't play in ditches or on snow banks.
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Stay out of the danger zone. If you can touch the bus, you're too close. Use 10 giant steps to take you out of the danger zone, and make sure you and the bus driver can see each other.
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Always cross the road in front of the bus, never behind.
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Look all ways and wait for the driver to signal before you cross in front of a bus.
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Walk at least 10 big steps from the front of the bus.
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Enter or exit the bus in single file. Never push or shove.
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Walk — never run — across the road.
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Never stop to pick up anything that you may have dropped in the danger zone. Ask an adult or the bus driver to help.
While on the bus:
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Find a seat right away. Stay seated, facing forward at all times.
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Don't put things in the aisle.
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Never distract the bus driver. Always follow his or her instructions.
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Don't eat or drink.
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Don't yell, push people or throw things.
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Keep your arms and head inside the bus.
Source: Ministry of Transportation
