Health Tip: Keep Your Child Safe on the Bus

(HealthDay News) -- Most school systems have safety rules and regulations to help prevent bus-related accidents on the way to or from school.

When accidents do happen, most occur while children are waiting, entering or exiting the bus. Here are some suggestions to help keep your child safe, courtesy of the National Safety Belt Coalition:

• Have your child wait in a safe spot -- like your driveway or a sidewalk -- that is away from traffic.
• Make sure he does not approach the bus or enter the street until the bus has come to a complete stop, the door has opened, and the driver has motioned to enter the bus.
• Encourage your child to use handrails, and be careful going up and down the bus steps.
• When exiting the bus, your child should watch carefully for traffic. Make sure he walks far away from the bus, leaving plenty of space between himself and the bus.
• Make sure your child knows he should never walk behind the bus, and make sure the driver can always see your child as he''s walking toward or from the vehicle.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Sept. 4, 2006