WHAT ROLE DO SCHOOLS PLAY IN BUS SAFETY?
Los Angeles Unified School District schools are required to follow procedures of Safe Bus Riding Practices. To accomplish this, schools are mandated to provide an annual instructional program to students
| Parents! Did you know the average school bus: |  |
STATE REQUIREMENTS |
| 1.
Is as long as 6 motorcycles laid
end-to-end. 2. While empty, weighs as much as 10 passenger cars! |
|
SAFE BUS RIDING PRACTICES |
| 3.
Needs 10 times more distance to stop
than a passenger car, because of its weight. |
|
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS |
| 4.
Requires more room to turn, and more
time to slow down or speed up than a car. |
In accordance with Section 39831.5 of the Education Code:
All pupils at the elementary and secondary level in the public or private school who are transported in a school bus or school pupil activity bus shall receive instruction in school bus emergency procedure and passenger safety.
At least once in each school year, all pupils in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades one through eight, inclusive, who receive home-to-school transportation, shall receive safety instruction which includes, but is not limited to, proper loading and unloading procedures, including escorting by the driver, proper passenger conduct, bus evacuation, and location of emergency equipment. (See Reference Guide #10.)
The Transportation Branch has developed the following "Safe Bus Riding Practices Program" to comply with Education Code requirements.
A.
Separate video programs for elementary
and secondary students
have been developed entitled, "Bus Safety: Safe Riding Practices
and Bus Evacuation." This should be shown to all students in the
appropriate grade levels. This is necessary since almost all
students, at one time or another, will travel on a school bus for field
trips, athletic contests, etc.
Schools must copy and show the appropriate program within the first ten weeks of the first semester and document that this has been done. The certified document should be scanned and e-mailed to Transportation.Branch@lausd.net. It can also be mailed to the Transportation Branch Safety Center Office at 2710 Media Center, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90065 by school mail.
B.
Bus evacuation drills will be conducted
annually the first ten weeks
of the first semester by each school bus driver transporting
pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students who are part of
the home-to-school program. Appropriate adult supervisors are
also required to participate. Principals should contact their Area
Bus
Supervisor or Regional Transportation Manager to schedule this
drill, which will last approximately 30 minutes. It is preferable
that
this drill be conducted after students have viewed the referenced
videotape.
Each year the bus driver and appropriate school administrator are required to certify in writing that this drill has been conducted.
C.
Prior to the start of all school activity
trips, bus drivers are
required to review all safety rules, including location of emergency
exits, location and use of emergency equipment, and proper student
conduct.
A.
Video - Each year the school principal
shall submit the proper
form certifying that all students have viewed the videotape.
B.
Bus Evacuation Drill - Principals are
required to arrange for bus
evacuation drills for all pre-kindergarten through eighth grade
students in the home-to-school transportation program.
C.
Activity Trips - The bus driver must
certify on the Dispatch Report
and curricular worksheet that proper pre-trip instructions have
been given. Teachers should indicate on the bottom portion of the
Trip Confirmation Report form whether the instructions were
given. This form is sent to the school prior to a trip.
The Transportation Branch must maintain an up-to-date file of all certification forms; these forms are subject to inspection by the Department of the California Highway Patrol. Failure to conduct the safe bus riding practices and/or failure to produce the proper certification forms can result in suspension of all or part of the District's student transportation program.
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