Ensuring more than one million students in California receive safe transportation to and from school every day is no small task and involves many people.
Therefore, the California Highway Patrol has joined the National Association for Pupil Transportation in calling attention to National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 20 to 24.
“Keeping children safe is a collective effort involving the public, transportation professionals, government agencies, and law enforcement,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “It is also important for parents to talk to their children about school bus safety and ways to stay safe around buses.”
One of the key players in school bus safety is the bus driver.
Through its School Bus Program, the CHP ensures prospective drivers are able to meet the strenuous qualifications required by law and ensures applicants undergo a thorough interview process, which includes a criminal background check.
Drivers are also required to meet standards set forth by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Education.
However, school bus safety goes beyond the driver.
The CHP also is responsible for inspecting more than 23,000 school buses annually. During these thorough inspections, CHP personnel examine all equipment, gauges, lights, doors, the interior and exterior of the bus, air brake system, undercarriage, tires, engine components, frame and suspension.
The motoring public also plays a key role in the safe transportation of students.
The CHP offers the following tips for drivers who encounter a school bus:
– Never pass a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing.
– Watch for children who cross in front of the bus when the bus is stopped.
– Keep an eye out for children at bus stops.
– Be aware of children running to bus stops.
“Working together, sharing the common goal of safely getting students to school, we can help prevent tragedies from occurring on our roadways,” added Commissioner Farrow.
The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California.
National School Bus Safety Week observed Oct. 20 to 24
- Lake County News reports
- Posted On