Newswise — During normal school travel hours, an estimated 23.5 million children are transported annually on 457,000 school buses, totaling 5.8 billion student trips and 3.13 billion miles. A national estimate of 17,000 school bus-related injuries each year was determined in a recent study, far more than previous estimates.
A recent AAP policy statement provides new information and recommendations related to safe transportation of children who travel by car or bus, ride bikes, or walk. Specific tips include:
SCHOOL BUS· Wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. · Do not move around on the bus. · Use the lap/shoulder belts when available.· Check to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the road. · Always remain in clear view of the bus driver.
CAR· All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size- appropriate car safety seat or booster seat. · Children should ride in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. They are ready for a booster seat when they have reached the top weight or height allowed for the seat, shoulders are above the top harness slots, or ears have reached the top of the seat. · Children should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle's seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age). This means the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach; and the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down. · All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. · Many crashes involve novice teen drivers. Limit the number of teen passengers to prevent driver distraction. Do not allow your teen to drive while eating, drinking, or talking on a cell phone.
BIKE· Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride. · Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic. · Use appropriate hand signals. · Respect traffic lights and stop signs. · Wear bright-colored clothing to increase visibility.
WALKING TO SCHOOL· Make sure your child's walk to a school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection. · Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision. · Bright-colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.
All of these tips are available on the AAP Web site at www.aap.org in English andSpanish.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
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