Back to School Safety
Fact: Twice a day during the school year, almost 5,500 school buses in Alberta safely transport over 250,000 children to and from school. School buses in Alberta travel an estimated 400,000 km a day – that’s about 10 times around the earth.
Drivers play a large role in back to school safety. Be alert and cautious. Watch for children and school buses. School buses in Alberta transport over 300,000 students twice a day. The greatest danger to passengers is during loading and unloading procedures from vehicles running into the back of the bus or striking children as they cross the road either heading for, or, exiting the bus.
Young students need to be aware of traffic safety rules as pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and as school bus passengers.
For drivers
- Everyone has a role to play in keeping our children safe.
- Watch for children crossing roads. Be prepared to stop or slow down.
- Alternating flashing yellow or amber lights means a bus is slowing down to stop. Do the same. The only exception to this rule is when the bus is on the opposite side of a highway divided by a median.
- Stop when the school bus activates its alternately flashing red lights.
- Know and obey the speed limits in school and playground zones.
For children and parents
- Follow the bus safety rules - always ride the bus safely.
- Point, Pause, and Proceed. Be Alert At Intersections And Always Look For Danger When Crossing The Street.
- Wear your helmet when riding your bike.
- Wear your safety gear when rollerblading, skateboarding or riding your scooter.
Related Pages
Last edited: January 4, 2021