SACRAMENTO Calif. –
School bus safety is a two-way
street, a responsibility shared by professional school bus drivers and the rest
of the motoring public. To help bring awareness to the safe transportation of
students throughout the state, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is
proud to observe National School Bus
Safety Week, October 21–25, 2013.
Nearly one million California
students ride on school buses every day and more than 25,000 certified drivers
are dedicated to providing safe transportation for children in the state. These
drivers go through 40 hours of intense training by the Department of Education,
in addition to a rigorous certification process by the CHP, physical examinations,
and drug tests.
Drivers must also possess a valid
first aid and medical card and obtain a background clearance from the California
Department of Justice. Additionally, the CHP inspects and certifies every bus annually.
“School buses provide safe
transportation for getting children to and from school,” said CHP Commissioner
Joe Farrow. “Not only are the buses designed for safety, the drivers operating them
are well-trained drivers and certified by the state.”
Although there were more than 1,700 collisions
involving school buses in 2011, preliminary data from the CHP’s Statewide
Integrated Traffic Records System indicates
No school bus passengers were killed
in those crashes.
According to the California School
Employees Association, studies have shown that the most dangerous part of a
school bus ride is when the students are getting on and off of the bus. Motorists
are encouraged to pay attention to school buses when bus warning lights are
flashing. In California, flashing yellow lights on a school bus are a warning
to low down and prepare to stop. Flashing red lights and the extended stop arm require
all motorists to stop for children entering and exiting the bus and crossing
the street. “Motorists are reminded to pay close attention and exercise caution
when they see a school bus stopped to load or unload students,” Added Commissioner
Farrow. “Never let a distraction compromise a child’s safety. ‘