The Mansfield City Schools transportation department is featured this week on WMFD TV’s “Inside Mansfield City Schools.” From left are routing specialist Alice Graves, transportation supervisor Deb Rickert and bus driver Tamara Engstrom.
Mansfield City Schools buses travel just over 1,800 miles on 30 routes every day. That’s within 100 miles of the highway distance from Mansfield to Phoenix, Ariz.
National School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 16-20), whose theme is Stop on Red, is the topic of WMFD TV’s “Inside Mansfield City Schools” this week. Guests are transportation supervisor Deb Rickert, bus driver Tamara Engstrom and routing specialist Alice Graves.
The show will air on Spectrum cable channel 16 in Mansfield at 8 o’clock tonight, 4 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. The program also will be posted on WMFD’s web site by clicking on “video and audio” at the top of the home page, then scrolling down to “Inside Mansfield City Schools.”
Rickert, Engstrom and Graves had a unified message to drivers sharing the road with school buses: Be aware, be focused, put down the cellphones and stop for a bus’s flashing red lights.
“When the kids are on my bus, they are my kids, my family. I am focused on getting them safely to school and safely home,” said Engstrom, who drives routes to Sherman Elementary School and Malabar Intermediate School.
The American School Bus Council says that an estimated 480,000 school buses carry 26 million children – more than half of America’s school children – each day.
“School buses remain the safest mode of transportation for students to and from school,” said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Ohio Highway Patrol superintendent. “With the cooperation of motorists, parents, children and public awareness we can make this a safe school year throughout Ohio.”
From 2014 to 2016, the Patrol said, 4,160 drivers were convicted of failing to stop for a stopped school bus and 3,958 traffic crashes were reported involving school buses.
The Patrol reminds motorists to use caution when driving around school buses or in school zones. Motorists should also be prepared to stop quickly and remain aware of their surroundings.
According to the National Safety Council, school buses are the safest way for students to travel, but children also need to do their part to stay alert and aware of their surroundings to prevent injury. NSC urges parents to teach their children the following safety rules for getting on and off the bus, and for exercising good behavior while riding.
Getting on the Bus
- When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic and avoid roughhousing or other behavior that can lead to carelessness
- Do not stray onto the street, alleys or private property
- Line up away from the street or road as the bus approaches
- Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before approaching the bus
- Use the handrail when boarding
Behavior on the Bus
- If seat belts are available on the bus, buckle up
- Don't speak loudly or make loud noises that could distract the driver
- Stay in your seat
- Don't put your head, arms or hands out the window
- Keep aisles clear of books and bags
- Get your belongings together before reaching your stop
- Wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat
Getting Off the Bus
- Use the handrail when exiting
- If you have to cross in front of the bus, first walk at least 10 feet ahead until you can see the driver
- Make sure the driver can see you
- Wait for a signal from the driver before crossing
- When the driver signals, look left, right, then left again. Walk across the road and keep an eye out for sudden traffic changes
- If your vision is blocked, move to an area where you can see other drivers and they can see you
- Do not cross the center line of the road until the driver signals it is safe
- Stay away from the rear wheels of the bus at all times