Every day large yellow modes of transportation carry America’s youth to schools to obtain an education.

For the most part our children are safe as they board the bus and head to class. 

While not all parents send their children to school on the bus for various reasons, most of our nation’s children depends on these transports.

For the past two years Pearl River County School District has used a special program called SOAR to teach their students about bus safety. Tips included in the program focus how to properly board and disembark the bus and how to behave while riding.

Buses sit a bit higher than most passenger vehicles, so children can not always be seen from the driver’s seat if they cross too close to the front.

Most buses today utilize a mechanical device that forces the children to cross in front of the bus at a safe distance. But it’s good to know that children are learning the proper procedure for themselves in case that device breaks down.

Another lesson covered in the program is what to do if a stranger boards the bus. The procedure entails children ducking behind the seat in order to prevent the stranger from establishing exactly how many passengers are on the bus. 

Other bus safety procedures don’t have much to do with the students or the bus drivers. They focus on the operators of private vehicles who could be following behind. Motorists should always consider the safety of children when deciding whether to pass a school bus. 

Sure, buses travel a bit slower than most people, but if drivers will just remember that the bus is carrying children, and they tend to turn onto side roads quite often, it may help them wait until it is safe to pass and avoid becoming aggravated about having to drive a bit longer to get to their destination.