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Yesterday morning, a 6-year old child was struck by a  car in Chelsea while crossing the street to get on the school bus in the morning. The driver had ignored the stop sign and flashing lights on the school bus and drove around the bus, hitting the child in the street. This is one of many cases this year across the country, and school has been in session for less than a month! Be sure to discuss school bus with your children. Here are a few Massachusetts school bus safety tips to consider.

Crossing the Street

Although drivers traveling in both directions are legally required to stop when the lights are flashing on a school bus (not to mention the big stop sign that gets extended), people do not always do so. Perhaps they’re in a rush or simply don’t know any better. In either case, it creates a safety hazard for children. It’s important to remind your kids to look both ways before crossing the street even when getting on or off the bus. If cars are approaching, tell them to wait for all cars to stop before continuing across the street. By remaining aware and overly cautious, they are less likely to be a victim of an accident.

Approaching the Bus

Sometimes children start crossing the street as they see their bus approaching. This is the most dangerous time as other drivers may try to rush past the bus before the stop sign is fully extended. Drivers would be traveling at higher speeds than normal when they do this, so they are less able to stop quickly for a child crossing the street. Ask your children to wait for their bus to come to a complete stop before even attempting to cross.

More on Massachusetts School Bus Safety Tips

The above Massachusetts School Bus Safety Tips are just a couple important reminders.Although we always hope that drivers and other people around children will do the right thing to help keep them safe, we can’t always rely on that. By training your children to remain aware of their surroundings and potential hazards, they can take precautions to ensure their own safety.