Transportation leader shares with parents how to keep their child out of "danger zone" when waiting for the bus

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the safest way to get students to and from school is on the bus, but they have to get to and from the bus first. 

While your student is safe on the bus and safe at home, that in-between time is when special care is called for, because keeping your child safe before the bus is a crucial time. 

"Arrive early; we recommend five-10 minutes before the listed bus stop," said ABC Transit's Vice President of Operations, Todd O'Shell. 

O'Shell has notched a lot of miles behind the wheel of a school bus, and these days, he heads up ABC Transit. After all of his experience, he's letting parents and kids alike know what they need to do to be safe at the bus stop, especially if it's one without a sidewalk. 

"They need to be 10 feet from the bus when it pulls up," he said. "The important part is to watch the driver and watch the driver give the indication to enter the bus." 

When the big, yellow bus pulls up, it can lead to a lot of excitement for the kids, but that means a rule does get lost. 

"We have some stops that have a lot of children, and there are 20 students who want to rush to be the first one on, or get the front seat," he said. "We encourage them to wait for the door to open and wait for the driver to instruct them." 

That "10 feet" reference from O'Shell isn't just a recommendation, because while a driver can be aided by a host of mirrors and see a lot, O'Shell said that 10 feet around the bus's front, back, and sides is out of the "danger zone." 

Of course, there's always the element of crossing the street. 

"If there's anyone trying to go around the bus, that would put any student in danger," O'Shell said. "Or a vehicle that isn't stopping in the opposite lane." 

O'Shell shared a few other points, including that if you drop something, tell the driver so that they know you're going to duck down, perhaps out of sight. 

Once the student is off the bus, be sure they know to use the sidewalk if one is available, never walk down the middle of the street, and stay off to the side, while facing oncoming traffic. 

Finally, once again, O'Shell stressed the importance of getting to the bus stop early. Running for the bus is just asking for trouble. 

A great first step for parents is to take a walk with their student to the bus stop before the first day of school so they know the safest way to get there.