School Safety in the News 5-20-13

County works on moving elections out of schools

UCONN hosts school safety training

Stronger neighborhoods make safer schools

Schools invest in safety improvements

Students have a Safety Day

Indiana State Troopers inspect school buses

Sandy Hook causes other schools to tighten security

Governor signs school safety bill

School Safety in the News 5-6-13

Schools and the local community team up to solve traffic issues

Middle school upgrades access control

Aboriginal schools get cyber-bullying training

City mourns the loss of a school safety icon 

New Zealand celebrates United Nations Global Road Safety Week

The Sunshine Coast of Australia installs new traffic lights near schools

Mumbai school buses get CCTV systems

School Transportation in the News 3-10-13

School Bus Driver Pulls Over With Diabetic Attack - Plainview, NY Patch

3 Indy school buses involved in crashes - RTV6.com

Vigo County school bus hit by dump truck; 4 hurt - WISHTV.com

Local school bus drivers trained to prevent violence - Naples Daily News

Man shoots school buses with pellet gun

Safe Havens, International

School receives threat prior to start

Safe Havens, International

School Buses Breaking the Rules

Atlanta, GA
Every day, Georgia school buses transport more than a million students; with two of the largest fleets in the country operating right here in the Atlanta area. So we wondered, "How safe are your children when they step on a school bus?"

We conducted Open Records searches to get a handle on driver safety. We discovered that school bus drivers, like the rest of us, are not immune to getting tickets.

We requested red light camera tickets and moving violations for bus drivers in five school districts in the Atlanta area, including Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton Counties as well as Atlanta Public Schools.

We found examples of buses running red lights and obtained the video to go along with some of those violations.  We also discovered other serious infractions, including a hit and run involving a Dekalb School bus, Atlanta school buses involved in accidents and buses in Cobb and DeKalb Counties cited for speeding, some in school zones.

Safe Havens, International

Baltimore-Area School Buses Rack Up Hundreds of Speed Camera Tickets

Baltimore, MD

Automated speed cameras, installed around area schools three years ago with the goal of punishing dangerous drivers and making the streets safer for children, have caught hundreds of school buses speeding near the schools they serve, often with children aboard, a Baltimore Sun analysis has found.

Privately owned buses have received at least 800 automated speed citations in Baltimore City, while city-owned buses have accumulated more than 50, records show. And Baltimore County public school buses have triggered speed cameras more than 100 times over the past two years.

Safe Havens, International

New Drivers a Factor in Increased Manatee School Bus Accidents

Manatee, FL
Just two months into the academic calendar, Manatee County school buses have been involved in 11 accidents -- already half of the previous school year's total numbers, according to transportation officials.

Drivers have been at fault in five cases this year.

Twenty-three accidents were reported in all of 2011-12, and five bus drivers were charged. In 2010-11, two school employees were cited in 22 accidents.

Sheryl Riker, director of transportation for Manatee schools, has not had a chance to analyze all contributing factors, but said new drivers may explain the increase.

Safe Havens, International

The “Perfect Day” by LTC Dave Grossman, USA, ret.

The Rhino Den
In their dreams and fond imaginations, this is what will happen across all of the “Crusader nations” who are in Afghanistan. Pick a day, and everyone gives it their best shot. If just one in 1,000 of the Islamic people in our nations answer the call to Jihad, it will still be thousands of attackers … Some will opt for a “John Muhammad/Malvo,” whacking people from the trunks of cars, others for a Virginia Tech lone gunman in the school. Others will attack school buses, nannies will kill the kids, clerks will kill customers, cooks (in the elementary school?) will poison the Kool-aid, etc., etc.

The enemy thinks big, and we (with wishful thinking compounded by ignorance of their history) keep thinking small. The goal of this Perfect Day, in addition to terror, is to make us imprison (intern) our Islamic populations (as we did to the Japanese in WWII), thus making this a “war against Islam” instead of the current war against terrorist groups and Islamist fundamentalists.

Child Abduction Digest 8-31-12

Portland, OR
An alert mother said she used a 2x4 to wallop a 17-year-old boy who was trying to abduct her young daughter as the girl played outside a home.

Police credited quick action by Antoinette Robinson and neighbors with helping them capture the suspect. He was being held down by neighbors when officers arrived.

Lt. Robert King with the Portland Police Bureau said the attempted abduction happened on Sunday evening around 6:30 near 169th Avenue and Lafayette Street in Southeast Portland.


Paxton, IL
Police are investigating the second report of an attempted child abduction in Paxton within a one-week span.

The incident occurred at 8:05 a.m. Sunday in front of the Full Gospel Christian Fellowship, 619 S. Railroad Ave., according to Paxton Police Chief Bob Bane.

Two young girls walking by the church were approached by a vehicle, described as a black van or sport utility vehicle, that was being driven by a “white older female,” possibly in her late 50s, Bane said. Also in the vehicle was a child, 8-9 years old.

Bane said the vehicle first drove by the girls going south on Railroad Avenue (U.S. 45) and then turned around. The vehicle then came back north toward the girls, and its driver then asked them if they wanted a ride.

Hocking County, OH
A 16-year-old girl living in Hocking County was almost abducted this morning at around 6:20 while waiting for her bus at Laurel Run Road.

Sheriff Lanny North says the attempted abductor was an older man with white hair and a white beard who was driving a red Geo Metro.

The man insisted that the girl had missed her bus and said that he would drive her to school.

The girl responded that she had not missed her bus and that she was going back into her house to call the police.

Assistant Principal Josh Straus of Logan High School posted this morning on the district's website the description of the suspect along with some stranger-danger tips.

Hocking County, OH
Hocking County Sheriff Lanny North stated that the 16-year-old Logan High School student lied about the Monday morning attempted abduction to seek more attention from her parents.

The student told investigators she was almost abducted while waiting for her school bus on August 27.

Detectives met the student at her residence to conduct a follow-up interview on August 29.

They had become suspicious when reviewing her statement based on the amount of detailed information she had provided, yet claimed the encounter lasted less than 30 seconds.

During the interview, the youth recanted her story and admitted that she had been afraid to wait for the school bus alone and wanted attention from her parents.

Northfield, IL
The Northfield Police Department is investigating a possible attempted child abduction that took place last week.

According to a department release, a 13-year-old girl was walking home at 12:50 p.m. Aug. 24 when the incident took place on southbound Riverside Drive near Stockton Drive.

The offender, believed to be a white male over the age of 45, was sitting in the passenger seat of a silver, four-door, mid-size vehicle and yelled, “Come, come here ... come!” while gesturing toward the vehicle with his hand.

The girl refused and fled the area. The vehicle then left the scene, making a U-turn before driving off on westbound Winnetka Road.

Chicago, IL

Kelly Davis wonders what would have happened had he been looking the other way for just a few moments.

He was standing in Daley Plaza watching his two young daughters slide down the Picasso sculpture Saturday night when he saw a man rushing toward daughter Myla, 2.

The man grabbed the girl's arm, muttering, "This is my daughter, Goldilocks." But Davis said he was able to fight him off and then chased him through alleys and building lobbies before finally flagging down police.

Fostoria, OH

What may have been an attempted child abduction has residents of a Fostoria neighborhood on edge. The Review-Times reports the incident happened at a school bus stop Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of South Poplar Street and Hissong Avenue just after 2:30 p.m. The man apparently tried to lure the child away from the mother. People who live in the area told police they saw a man matching the description on Poplar Street 10 minutes before police arrived.

Shelbyville, IN

Shelbyville Police are looking for a man suspected of an attempted child-snatching.

Lt. Mike Turner says a nine-year-old girl was waiting for a school bus this morning, when she was approached by the man described as "older or possibly elderly."

The girl tells police the man grabbed her, she got away from him and he ran from the scene--a school bus stop near Sunset and Miller. It was apparently an isolated incident but Lt. Turner urges parents to be vigilant.

"Maybe instead of sending your kids outside and you stay inside, maybe come out to the bus stop with the kids," he said.  "We've obviously increased our patrols at the bus stops."

IPS: Bus Drivers will Show Monday

IPS leaders say they’ve been told all buses will run Monday morning. That’s after about 80 drivers called in sick Friday, protesting unemployment payments.

IPS held an emergency, closed-door meeting Sunday with union leaders and Durham School Services leaders.

“We were assured this afternoon all of the contracted bus routes will run on schedule tomorrow morning,” said IPS spokesperson John Althardt.

He wouldn’t comment on the dispute between the bus drivers, the state, and Durham School Services, saying IPS’ concern is strictly the students and getting the students to class.

About 200 bus routes were affected Friday afternoon, and 12,000 kids were delayed getting home.

Crop Dusting Safety Concerns High in Kern County

Bakersfield, CA
Three times already this year, pesticide drift incidents have been reported in Kern County. Farmers say the chemicals are necessary, and they're doing a better job than ever of using them. But, others worry about safety.

In March, suspected pesticides drifted over a school bus carrying about 30 children. The elementary-age kids were part of the Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District. Firefighters who responded, said a crop duster slightly oversprayed and hit the bus near Stockdale Highway and Interstate 5.

One child was taken to the doctor by parents, Frankhauser said. He said the no other children had symptoms, they were checked as a precaution.

Back to School - School Bus Safety Tips

New York, NY
My school district begins classes on August 1, with other districts in the area beginning within the next few weeks.  That means that those big, yellow school buses will be back on the road.

There is an excellent article at the link above that offers safety tips for parents and school personnel to teach our children, after offering up some startling statistics.  "According to a Department of Transportation study revised in March of 2011 (DOT HS 396), about 19 children die each year in school bus accidents -- either as riders or nearby pedestrians."  School buses are among the sturdiest, safest vehicles on the road, yet 19 children die each year.  So what can be done?

The article goes on to list some important safety tips:

- Orderly, Polite Behavior Required at All Times. Children must be reminded to never push or shove others while boarding, riding or exiting a vehicle. They should always wait for the driver's permission to either enter or leave a bus. Bullying behavior, verbally or physically, is strictly forbidden on buses -- just as it is in school;

- Regular Use of Handrails. Holding on to these while getting on or off a bus can prevent many falls;

- Exercise Great Care When Moving About in School Bus Danger Zones. The areas right behind a bus and on both sides of it (near the front) are especially dangerous. Tell your children about these areas and remind them that drivers often fail to see kids moving around in these areas;

- Use Crosswalks and Never Jaywalk. Drivers often panic when they see a large number of kids. Be sure to remind your children that it can be very risky to try and cross any street outside of the crosswalk area or at an intersection;

- Kids Should Carry Safely Packed Backpacks. Make sure your kids pack their backpacks safely and leave everything inside while riding the bus. It's just too easy to drop things or injure others by handling backpack items while the bus is moving;

- Make Sure All Bus Stops are in Safe Locations. If you question the safety of the location of a particular bus stop, take your concerns immediately to the school district and try to get the stop moved to a safer area. School bus accidents often occur when kids jump out of the vehicles in poorly marked locations;

- Take Extra Care When Crossing in Front of a School Bus. Kids should always wait until a bus driver clearly indicates that it's safe for them to cross in front of the bus before they start to do so. Some buses have automatic placards that provide this signal;

- Never Disembark to Pick Up an Item Dropped Out a Window. Tell your children that if they accidentally drop something out a window, they should tell the bus driver so they might be given a safe opportunity to retrieve the item. No one should ever throw any object out a window while playing on a bus;

- Cell Phones Should Not Be Used While Riding Unless an Accident Occurs. While it's okay if your kids call you after an accident, tell them to try and wait for instructions from the driver (or any other adult on board) before calling or trying to exit the vehicle;

- Check on the Driver's Personal Safety Record and Experience. Ask your school district if it can provide you with a copy of the most recent background check done on your child's school bus driver. Such checks should be routinely made by the district at least once or twice a year.

I am the Director of Transportation for my district.  My drivers will be teaching these points, and others, to the children.  It would be a great idea for parents to teach this at home as well.  I've had to visit children in the hospital after a school bus accident.  Fortunately, their injuries were not severe.  Nonetheless, it was a horrible feeling to look at a child who was under your care lying there hurt, even if it wasn't your fault.  It would even be even worse if it were my child.

Be on the lookout for those big yellow buses, and the little ones they carry.

Faccebook

Our Forum On