Bus Route Safety Guidelines

GOING TO THE DOORS

One of the best ways to maintain safety on the bus ride is to walk the children from their door to the bus and to take them home in the same fashion.

When the children are being picked up, it is important to cross the street only in front of the bus (not behind the bus).  Also, the parents need to know as accurately as possible what time their child will return.

Indecent dress is not permitted (e.g., miniskirts, tight clothing, revealing necklines, etc.).  If riders come out of the home dressed indecent, they should be asked to go back in and change into appropriate clothes.  Anyone who does not change is to be left at home.  Above 4th grade, children’s clothing should be baggy and past the knee.  No shorts of any kind are allowed in the auditorium.

When dropping the children off, observe the following guidelines:

When exiting the bus, the worker needs to be the first one off the bus, not the children.

Collect all of the children from that home at the door of the bus, so that everyone can cross the street at the same time.

Cross the street in front of the bus and not behind.  Be sure to wait for the driver to signal before crossing the street.

Make certain that someone is home before leaving the children there.

Finally, leave a good impression with the children regarding their Sunday bus ride.

SEATING ON THE BUS

Children should remain seated while the bus is moving.  The workers should help seat the children as quickly as possible so the bus can move.

An orderly method of seating the children on the bus is to have the children sit in the first few seats available when they first get on the bus.  Before the bus gets to the next stop, their hands should be marked with the bus number.  At the next stop, while the next children are coming to the bus, the first children should be moved to the back of the bus.  In this way, the bus should slowly fill up from back to front with their hands already marked.

SHUTTLE CARS

Shuttle vehicles help save time on the route and provide extra space for people to ride to church.  At the same time, the biggest concern when using a shuttle vehicle is safety.  The following guidelines need to be strictly observed:

Any vehicle used for shuttle must have the proper insurance form on file in the church office.  These forms are available from and must be returned to Mr. Eric Ramos.

All drivers need to be prepared for the route before Sunday morning.  The vehicles must be properly fueled and the driver needs a marker, a car seat, and some treats.

All shuttle drivers must obey the traffic laws.  This includes stop signs and speed limits.

All the children in the car must wear a seat belt.  A car should not carry more than its seat belt capacity, and car seat laws must be obeyed.

When approaching the bus to drop off kids, the driver should park in front of the bus, turn off the engine, empty the car on the curbside only, and walk the children safely to the bus.

After the children are on the bus, the driver should let the captain know the names of the children whom he dropped off.

All shuttle vehicles must be on time for church.

When the driver arrives at church, he should turn in his count and report to the bus with the children who rode with him.  He should help unload the bus.

In the case of an emergency contact your captain and the church office immediately.

SNOWY AND COLD DAYS

When visiting on Saturday, it is effective to speak to each parent about the cold.  Ignoring the weather never helps.  The issue of safety needs to be addressed on the Saturday visit.  The church’s safety policy should be stressed.

The shuttle drivers should be ready early and drive slowly when they have children in their vehicles.

The buses will be cancelled if the cold and ice are too severe.  In the event of a cancellation, all the men on the route should meet at the church early that morning.  If possible, the treat should also be ready at that time.  Each driver will stop at a number of the homes in order to give them the treat and inform them that the buses have been cancelled for the day.  If they are not home, a note should be left.

Faithful children can ride in cars to church if the parents permit it and cars have not been banned from the roads.

This article was a excerpt from Fairhaven Baptist Church Bus Handbook