Keeping Students Safe
Keeping Students Safe
Student School Bus Safety
Student safety is the primary concern of the Transportation Department. Statistics show that the most dangerous time for students is before and/or after they are on the bus. The Transportation Department considers the environment and age of the students when placing bus stops. We attempt to place every stop at a location with reasonable safety assurances for students. Parents must assume responsibility for their student's travel back and forth from home to the bus stop.
Bus Stop Location
Rockport-Fulton ISD creates bus stops using the following criteria:
- Eliminate students crossing busy streets at elementary levels and reduce the number of students crossing the streets at secondary levels.
- Provide students with the ability to stand off the roadway while waiting for the bus.
- Locate the stops to maximize visibility for both students and traffic (100’ minimum visibility).
- Avoid locations that expose students to traffic hazards and reduce the number of hazards for students crossing the street.
- Place the stops in locations away from non-traffic hazards such as railroad tracks, commercial areas, or areas with bad dogs.
- Place the stops at least 100 feet away from corners if possible to better control traffic in immediately around the bus.
- Avoid stops in cul-de-sacs and dead-end roads to minimize accident risks caused by buses backing up to turn around.
- Place stops on streets with as little traffic as possible
- Create a buffer zone between students and the bus both in the neighborhoods and at the school to keep students from being struck by the bus.
School Bus Danger Zones
The most dangerous time for a student riding the school bus is the loading and unloading process. It is critical that students are visible to the driver and out of the bus danger zones when the bus is in motion. This rule applies to loading and unloading both in the neighborhoods and schools. If students are crossing the street, they should move immediately out of the danger zone and proceed at least 15 feet in front of the bus before crossing the street.
