Back to School Road Safety

Tips for Kids at Bus Stops, Drop-Offs and While Walking or Bicycling to Class

By Amy Watkins, MPH and Kristen Levesque, Transportation Engineer

It’s back to school time, which means school buses, crowded drop-offs, bicyclists and pedestrians walking along busy roads. Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, so it’s important to talk to your child now about being safe around buses and cars.

Injury Prevention Center and Kristen Levesque from the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program share tips.

At the Bus Stop

• Make sure your child knows the bus stop is not a place to run or play. When they’re near the road, they need to pay attention.
• Choose a place to wait for the bus at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the curb. Show your child the spot and tell them it is safest to wait there.
• When the school bus arrives, your child should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the safety lights and signs are activated. When the door opens, it is safe to approach the bus.
• When getting on the bus, use the handrails to avoid falling.
• Never walk behind a school bus.
• If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, they should walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the street to a place at least five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus. Before crossing, they should make eye contact with the bus driver to ensure the driver can see them.
• If your child drops something near the school bus, like a ball or book, the safest thing to do is tell the bus driver immediately, or leave the item and tell a parent. Your child should not try to pick up the item, because the driver might be unable to see them.

At School

School parking lots are busy places – many moving vehicles and people are walking – and kids can be small and hard to see. When your child arrives at school, whether via the bus or getting dropped off by car, they must use extra caution on their walk to the entrance.
Talk to kids about basic road safety rules, such as looking left, right and left again before walking where there are cars.
Remind kids never to walk between or directly behind cars. Also, remind them to avoid darting out into the pathway of moving vehicles.

As a parent, there are many things you can do to make school drop-offs and pick-ups safer.

1. When dropping your child off, use extra caution in the school parking lot.
2. Don’t rely on your car’s backup cameras alone. Go slow and look over your shoulder when backing up.
3. Be aware that children may dart out from between cars, and be prepared for the unexpected.
4. Drive slowly on your way to work or home with the knowledge that children are waiting at bus stops or walking and biking to school.

Walking and Bicycling to School