Schools in Maine and across the nation are recognizing National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 20 through 24. During the same week, schools will acknowledge the importance of bus drivers to a student’s education with Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
National School Bus Safety Week is a public education program designed to promote safety on and near the school bus. The theme for this year’s safety week is “At my Stop, you Stop.”
Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which falls within the safety week, acknowledges the importance of school bus drivers to a student’s education. Bus drivers complete the important task of operating vehicles responsible for carrying approximately 80 percent of Maine’s children to and from school. The duties bus drivers carry out are integral to the daily process of educating children, and they follow the laws of the road to maximize the safety of those on-board.
School bus drivers act as mentors and teachers, serving as upstanding examples of safety, courtesy, discipline and effective communication.
The National School Bus Safety Week public education program is sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, National School Transportation Association, National Association for Pupil Transportation, Pupil Transportation Safety Institute and school bus manufacturers and suppliers.
For more information on National Bus Safety week, visit the National Association for Pupil Transportation’s website. For information on school transportation in Maine or technical assistance, please contact the Department’s Transportation Consultant Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov or 624-6886.