Stewards of Safety
We believe that a positive experience on the school bus carries into the classroom and nurtures a rewarding experience at school. As the stewards of safety for more than 1.25 million children, everything we do at Student Transportation of America is designed with the safety of our passengers as our top priority.
We understand that each school district has specialized and unique situations, and we work closely with our customers to create constructive student safety programs. The morning and afternoon ride on the school bus can be a big part of a student’s day, and we help prepare our drivers to be confident and equipped to manage any student situation they may face by effectively and positively guiding passengers towards behaving safely.
School Bus Safety Activities
Student Transportation of America and our entire Family of Companies is dedicated to the health and safety of the students who depend on us to safely get to and from school.
To support our young and returning passengers, we offer a variety of activities to help students feel comfortable and be familiar with the school bus – their first and last classroom of the day!
To learn more about our other Safety Programs, click here.
Young Rider Program
We offer an in-class educational program to students led by STA bus drivers and school officials to teach the students about school bus safety. Our 1-hour program covers topics such as safety outside the bus, Danger Zones, safely crossing the street, school bus evacuation plans, and much more. We distribute activity books, have a Question and Answer session, and provide the students with information they can take home to their parents and caregivers to share our safety program.
Know the Danger Zones
According to the NHTSA, the school bus “danger zones” are the areas on all sides of the bus where students are in the most danger of not being seen by the driver. Typically this is thought of as the ten feet in front of the bus (where the driver may be seated too high to see a child), the ten feet on either side of the bus (in the driver’s blindspot), and the area behind the bus.
The leading practices to reduce student risk in danger zones include:
- Explain what the Danger Zone is, and the areas around the school bus
- Teach students the proper street crossing procedures and safety precautions
- Ask that all backpack and purse drawstring, cords, or straps be tucked away
- Drivers should count how many students leave the bus and know where they are before pulling away from a stop