It won’t be long before those pesky yellow things will be traveling our roadways. However, those big yellow things carry our most precious possessions, our children. Yes, it is the start of the school season and with that comes school buses. While they always seem to get in front of us when we are in a hurry, school buses need our patience in order to avoid a tragedy. The members of the West Grove Fire Company wanted to take a moment to remind both students and drivers that these vehicles need our respect. We have included some simple tips to help everyone stay safe. After all, the best call for our department is the one that doesn’t happen.

Students should:
1. Stay at least 5 steps back from the curb/road while waiting for the bus. Avoid horseplay, running, or ball playing while at the bus stop.

2. Always walk in front of the bus while it is stopped, far enough away that you can see the driver.

3. Avoid the “danger zone” of the bus, the 10 feet on all sides of the bus.

Drivers should:
1. Keep safe travel distances when near school bus stops and on known bus routes.

2. Children are unpredictable. Use extra caution when near children at a school bus stop.

3. Always stop for a bus with red lights flashing. Never pass a bus on the right.

This does appear to be common sense but unfortunately people have ignored these simple rules and died because of it. Since 2003, over 1,300 people have been killed in school bus related incidents. Approximately 135 fatalities occur across the country each year. These unfortunate statistics represent students struck by school buses and passenger vehicles, students in buses involved in collisions, and passenger vehicle occupants involved in bus collisions.

The West Grove Fire Company feels this is a serious matter and dedicated two weeks of training related to bus collisions. They practiced how to stabilize vehicles, gain access rapidly and remove students safely.

The department is grateful to Rivera’s towing for assisting in the drill and vehicle removal.

Photos by Todd Mazur and Eric Felker.