Thursday, August 28, 2014
 
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Illinois Regional Superintendents Keep Children Safe on School Buses
Administrators Share Bus Safety Tips through New Public Service Announcements as School Starts

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[August 28, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Regional Superintendents of Schools have a very simple message for everyone heading back to the classroom this month: Watch carefully for the big yellow buses.

Under Illinois law, Regional Offices of Education oversee bus safety to make sure buses are in proper working order and bus drivers have the training and skills they need to safely get kids to and from school across millions of miles of roads around the state every day.

The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS), representing the leaders of Regional Offices of Education and Intermediate Service Centers around the state, has prepared a series of public service announcements for its members to distribute to local media. The PSAs remind the public to be extra alert as school starts back up and buses are on the road, including that drivers must slow when amber lights are flashing, and stop when the stop arms are extended and the red lights are flashing.
 


“State law is clear that drivers must take caution and stop when buses are stopped to pick up and drop off children. But the majority of accidents involving children injured and even killed on in public transportation accidents happen not while students are on the school bus, but when they are outside it,” said Pat Dal Santo, president of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools and the Kane County Regional Superintendent of Schools.

“These PSAs are just one way we can try to help send a strong message to everyone that as school starts, you must drive carefully around schools and school buses. It only take a second for a tragic accident to happen. Please slow down, stop when the red lights are flashing and let’s make this the year where no one is injured because of carelessness around school buses.”

The four PSAs being sent to Regional Superintendents are below.

Bus Safety PSA #1
Safe driving is your responsibility 365 days a year. You need to be extra alert 176 of those days. Why? Because school buses are transporting students to and from school. This is _____________, Regional Superintendent of Schools reminding you to be aware of school busses on the road. An extended stop arm and flashing red lights are your signals to be on the alert for children loading or unloading from a school bus. Stop and wait -- it's the law. Let’s protect our children and be aware of school buses.

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Bus Safety PSA #2
This is _____________, Regional Superintendent of Schools, reminding you how important it is to know and obey school bus laws. You should know that the flashing amber lights are a warning the bus is going to stop, and the flashing red lights and extended stop arm mean the bus has stopped to load or unload children. You are required by state law to obey these signals. Please help protect the children who ride our school buses by obeying the law.


Bus Safety PSA #3
Let's protect our children who ride our school buses! This is _____________, Regional Superintendent of Schools, reminding you to obey our bus laws. The majority of children injured or killed in public transportation accidents are not injured or killed on the school bus, but outside the school bus. Most are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the flashing red lights and extended stop arm. It might bother you to wait a few extra minutes for a school bus - but it could bother you for the rest of your life if you don't.


Bus Safety PSA #4
This is _____________, Regional Superintendent of Schools. Yellow school buses ... flashing amber & red lights ... extended stop arms ... these three things stand for caution, patience, and safety. Caution and patience for you and safety for the children of our communities. FACT - you must stop when you see the flashing red lights and the extended stop arm on the school bus. It is the law, but more important, you could be endangering the life of a child by ignoring those signs. A few seconds of patience could save a life. Protect our kids and obey the law!

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About IARSS
The Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools represents the leaders of the state’s 44 Regional Offices of Education and Intermediate Service Centers, which provide crucial administrative support for Illinois schools and help more than 2 million schoolchildren get the education they need. More information can be found at its website: http://www.iarss.org/

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