Question about kids riding school buses

estelle0702 · Jan 29, 2009

My 6 yr old is in Kindergarten and has a field trip coming up. The kids are going to go on the school buses. I would prefer him to ride in my car in his booster. I asked if I could take him and his teacher said she'd have to get back with me but she was pretty sure if he doesn't ride the bus with the class then he gets counted absent. How safe is it for a kid to ride a bus? What would you do? Let him ride the bus or get an unexcused absence?

MomToEliEm · Jan 29, 2009

My child rode the bus during field trips in kindergarten. Now in first grade, she rides the bus every day to and from school. I feel that school buses are very safe and are less likely to get in an accident due to their visibility. If they are in an accident, they are usually minor due to the school buses being so heavy. I feel that my kids are actually safer on the school bus then if I were to drive them myself even with them in a 5-point harness in my car.

You as the parent though needs to make the decision as to what your own child does. If you don't feel comfortable with him on the school bus, keep him home that day.

Gypsy · Jan 29, 2009

Statistically, your child (every child) is safer in a school bus, even unrestrained, then they are in the seat with the most safety features riding in a vehicle with high crash test ratings.

scatterbunny · Jan 29, 2009

This handout on school bus safety might help: http://carseat.org/Resources/109_schoolbus.pdf

FWIW, my dd started riding the bus at 6, in first grade, and I'm fine with it. Statistically, kids are safer on a bus than in a car, as Gypsy said.

tiggercat · Jan 29, 2009

Is your 6 yr old over 40lbs, and is it ia full size school bus (no seatbelts)? If both are yes, then I wouldn't have any problem with him riding. Busses are very safe as long as the children are big enough. They use a passive restraint system called compartmentalization.

mommyto4kiddos · Jan 29, 2009

I feel better with my kids on the bus than riding in any car with their boosters. Busses are safer than cars. Hope he has fun either way.

estelle0702 · Jan 29, 2009

Thanks everyone! I feel much better now.

Melanie · Jan 30, 2009

There was just a school bus accident here this week. 13 cars were involved and I think 10 of them hit the bus. None of the kids had serious injuries.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/01/30/20090130crashfolo0130.html

momto2princes · Jan 30, 2009

That is good to know. I haven't had this situation come up yet but I always wondered about it.

Stretchy Glue · Jan 30, 2009

I had to take the CEU quiz on busses this summer to make myself okay with dd riding the bus to and from school. It's a hard decision to make and let go, but it will be okay, I promise.

Can you go along for your own piece of mind? Once I rode the bus with her class last year on a field trip and saw how the kids are required to be sitting at all times and how attentive her bus driver would be, I relaxed a little.

Question about kids riding school buses

estelle0702

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MomToEliEm

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Gypsy

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scatterbunny

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tiggercat

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mommyto4kiddos

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estelle0702

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Melanie

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momto2princes

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Stretchy Glue

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