Become safety-minded

St. Landry Parish schools are officially underway for new school term.
And with that said, become cautious and aware of our school children and buses traveling our roadways early in morning and afternoon hours.
Slow down. Watch and travel slowly in school zones. These speed limits will be enforced. And they are set for the safety of children.
Become extra cautious of school buses and come to a complete stop as these school bus drivers make their bus stops. Watch for children arriving on the bus and exiting the bus.
School Buses, pedestrians, and vehicles at schools have the “right-way” at all schools.
Be respectful of other school travelers. Not everybody can arrive at school at the same time.
If you are running late for school, there is an easy way to correct that. It’s called “an alarm”. Set it accordingly to be on time or ahead of time for school, and for work for that matter... Enjoy and have a great school year. Be always mindful of safety for our school children.
The below, courtesy of Newspaper Metro, gives safety tips of school children who ride buses to school.
Many students take the bus to school twice a day, five days a week. Approximately 26 million elementary and secondary school children ride school buses daily in the United States, and the U.S. Department of Transportation says more than 50 percent of all K-12 students in the country ride yellow school buses, traveling approximately 4 billion miles each year.
The vast majority of these miles are traveled without incident. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, the national school bus accident rate is 0.01 per 100 miles traveled, compared to 0.96 for other passenger vehicles, which makes school buses considerably safer than other passenger vehicles.
Though school buses are safe, there are other ways to make them even safer. Children, especially those new to school buses, may find the bus fun and unique and not pay attention to simple safety rules. But parents should take steps to ensure that youngsters always heed the following school bus safety guidelines.
* Wait for the bus in a safe location that is away from traffic, ideally staying in a designated school bus stop until the bus arrives.
* Dress for optimal visibility, especially in inclement weather when it can be difficult for the school bus driver and other motorists to see pedestrians.
* Do not board the bus until it comes to a complete stop. Wait for the driver to open the door, which engages the “Stop” sign for oncoming motorists.
* Use the handrail and enter the bus in an orderly manner.
* Promptly find a seat, sit down and buckle the safety belt if there is one available. Students assigned seats on the bus should take their seat without making a fuss.
* Keep backpacks and other belongings out of the center aisle. Store them under your seat or on your lap.
* Remain seated at all times while the bus is in motion.
* Keep arms, hands, legs, and heads inside of the bus at all times.
* Always follow the driver’s instructions and avoid situations that will cause driver distraction.
* Wait for the bus to stop completely before standing up or attempting to exit.
* Exit the bus in an orderly manner, without pushing fellow passengers.
* Only cross the street in front of the bus. It is very difficult for the driver to see students crossing behind the bus.
* Wait for the driver to check traffic before crossing the street and be on the lookout for inattentive motorists.