Every day, school buses in Alabama provide transportation for 376,650 public school students and their safety is paramount. To continue educating students, parents and school personnel on the importance of bus safety, the Alabama Department of Education kicks off School Bus Safety Week, October 18-22.
“Hundreds of thousands of Alabama’s students ride to school every day on our buses. We encourage all schools to promote School Bus Safety Week to remind students, teachers, school bus drivers, parents and others to always be safety conscious around school buses, especially while buses are loading and unloading. This is the most dangerous time for students,” said Joe Lightsey, Director of Pupil Transportation at the Department of Education.
Celebrated annually during the third full week of October, School Bus Safety Week promotes awareness through poster contests and distribution of community awareness toolkits. The American School Bus Council offers these tips for school bus riders:
· Be alert to traffic. Check both ways for cars before stepping off bus.
· Make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street.
· Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
· While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
School buses not only offer free transportation for school-age children, they also offer solutions to issues facing the country. Safety is addressed by creating a safe riding environment for students and traffic is reduced by eliminating cars on the road. The American School Bus Council estimates the gas savings to be more than $8 billion a year on fuel costs. Transporting students in school buses instead of family cars causes less pollution to the environment since there are fewer cars on the road.
Resources including an online activity booklet, quizzes and helpful tips can be found on the National Association for Pupil Transportation website.
For more information on pupil transportation, please visit the State Department’s Pupil Transportation section.
Alabama Pupil Transportation Facts*
Daily Route Miles |
457,258 |
Annual Route Miles |
82,306,440** |
Number of Students Transported Daily |
376,650 |
Percentage of Students Transported |
50.82% |
Total Number of School Buses |
9,422 |
Average Number of Students Per Bus |
51 |
*Data as of April 20, 2010
**Both loaded and unloaded miles are included in this figure.
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