Tips for students

Resources

Visit the RoadSense/Ata Haere website for excellent information about road safety.

• Safety and the school bus (PDF, 230 KB). A school bus safety brochure for children and their parents/caregivers.

Information

Catching the school bus

• Wait quietly for the school bus in the designated place. Stand as far away from the road edge as you can.
• Wait until the bus has stopped before you walk to the door in a single line. Don't push.
• Carry your backpack (if you wear it, it may get caught in the door).
• Let younger children get on first.

Riding on the school bus

• Sit down quickly and put your bag under the seat or on your knees (clear of the aisle).
• Sit in your seat until the bus has stopped.
• Listen to any instructions from the bus driver and/or the bus warden.
• If you have to stand, place your bag on the floor and hold on to a seat back or handrail.
• Always stay behind the driver.
• Don't distract the driver - they need to concentrate on driving.

Getting off the school bus

• Get off the bus carefully. Don't push.
• On public transport, get off the bus through the front door whenever you can.
• After you get off the bus, wait as far away from the edge of the road as you can until the bus has moved away.
• If you need to cross the road, wait until the bus has moved away (at least two power poles or until you can see up and down the road clearly). Always use the kerb drill to cross.

The kerb drill

1. Find a safe place to cross.
2. Stand one step back from the kerb (practise this by walking to the kerb and taking one step back).
3. Look and listen for traffic in all the directions that it may come from.
4. If there is traffic coming, wait until it has passed, then look and listen for traffic again.
5. When there is no traffic coming, walk quickly straight across the road, looking each way for traffic.

Last updated: 11 August 2005