. .SAFETY FOR FIVE MILL
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Did you know that the North Carolina School
Bus system:
1. Is the largest fleet of its kind in the world?
2. Includes more than 6,130 motor vehicles?
3. Transports 408,000 students daily?
4. Travels 226,810 miles daily?
5. Travels 40,825,000 miles yearly?
This great fleet of school buses carried 73,440,-
000 student passengers during the 1951-1952
school term and had the misfortune to lose three
of the passengers through fatal accidents, the cause
being attributable to the victims in all three cases.
Did you know that today nearly five million
American boys and girls—more than the com
bined populations of Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cleve
land, Pittsburgh, and Boston—are being transport
ed to and from school in over 90,000 school buses!
And that the routes over which these buses travel
every day total 4,000,000 miles—160 times the
distance around the world.
There is a big difference between the little one-
room school house to which youngsters used to
trudge, each responsible for his own transporta
tion and safety—and our vast modern system of
large centralized schools, where the public is di
rectly responsible for both. Today our modern
centralized schools involve a gigantic transporta
tion problem with the number of new schools and
the number of pupils increasing by leaps and
bounds. So, too, are the dangers of traffic hazards
and highway accidents.
It must be recognized that the attitude of adults
toward safety is one of the major factors in in
fluencing children. Whatever an adult does usual
ly seems right to a child. For this reason parents
particularly should take an active interest in the
school safety program and do everything possible
to bring this valuable safety training home to the
child. Too many parents rely entirely on the bus
driver, the bus patrol, the teacher, and the school
principal to protect their children. We can all set
better examples for youngsters and at the same
time aid in reducing accidents—by driving more
carefully on the highways—^by slowing down to
20 M. P. H; through rnarked school zones—and by
remembering to stop every time a school bus stops
to load or unload children. Equally important,
parents should always be on the alert to urge new
and better safety legislation and to vote for meas
ures, which provide Safer, more comfortable, more
healthful transportation for our boys and girls.
We, as parents, can supplement the safety train
ing our children receive in school by making cer
tain that they know and understand the follow
ing safety rules:
1. Be careful in approaching bus stops; walk on
left, toward oncoming traffic; cross road only
after bus driver or patrol captain has signaled
that it is safe to do so.
2. Be on time for the bus—help keep the bus
on schedule.
3. Reach assigned seat in bus without disturb
ing or crowding other pupils; remain seated
while bus is moving.
4. Obey the driver promptly and cheerfully;
realize that he has a big responsibility and
that it’s everyone’s duty to help.
5. Help keep the bus clean and sanitary.
6. Remember that loud talking or laughing or
unnecessary confusion diverts the driver’s at
tention and may result in a serious accident.
7. Keep head, arms, and hands inside the bus
at all times; windows are for light, ventila
tion and to look through.
8. Be courteous to fellow pupils, bus driver, and
patrol captains. Remember, we are all work
ing together for safety.
9. Remain seated until bus stops to unload;
wait for signal from bus driver and patrol
captain—then cross the road in front of the
bus.
If your child is fortunate to be selected as a
member of the Bus Patrol, you as a parent can
supplement his training for this important re
sponsibility by making certain that the child is
thoroughly versed in the functions of the Bus
Patrol. These functions are as follows:
1. Set an example for other pupils on bus by
conduct which is above reproach.
2. Know the rules for safe bus driving and for
pupils, and help to enforce their observ
ance. Remember — safety patrol members
are the driver’s assistants. They should nev
er act independently, or attempt to direct
traffic.
3. Supervise orderly loading and unloading of
the bus at all stops.
4. Check to see that all pupils are properly
seated in assigned places before the bus
starts.
5. Assist the driver in every way possible; be
ready to act as watchman at dangerous rail
road crossings and road intersections.
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