Bus Safety

What is bus safety?

Bus safety is the fourth of the nine basic Youth Crime Watch components. This component stresses the importance of school bus safety and the helps students report and prevent crime on the bus.

Youth Crime Watchers can help keep the bus safe without undermining the driver's authority. While the driver is responsible for keeping everything under control, there may be some things that escape the driver's attention. When someone on the bus is showing off a weapon or passing out drugs, doing graffiti, seat cutting, or even when people are throwing objects at the bus, YCW can help ease the problem by giving kids a channel for reporting... either later or right away.

Key steps

• Talk to your Youth Crime Watch advisor to see if a meeting can be arranged with school transportation officials.
• Have a meeting of all school bus riders to introduce the program and discuss basic bus safety.
• Elect or appoint a small core group to run the bus safety initiative.
• Invite someone from the transportation department to speak to the group on bus safety.
• Decide how you will report incidents to school officials. Drop box? Hotline?
• Plan activities throughout the year to promote bus safety.
• Have regular meetings.

Related materials

Bus Safety Manual $14.95

Thanks

We acknowledge Ryder Student Transportation Services for their help with the Youth Crime Watch Bus Safety Program. As one of the nation's leading providers of student transportation, Ryder extensively trains its drivers and works closely with schools, students and the communities in implementing comprehensive school bus safety programs.