October 17, 2012
During the week of Oct. 22-26, Houston ISD will celebrate National School Bus Safety Week. The national program is designed to educate communities about bus safety. This year's theme is “I See the Driver—the Driver Sees Me.”
Safety Above All Else, one of HISD's core values, is the driving factor in promoting bus safety awareness. HISD recently won the Larson Quality Award from the National Association for Pupil Transportation for quality customer service and safety practices. As Texas' largest school district, the HISD fleet currently consists of 1,000 buses that transport more than 30,000 students to and from school each day.
“It is important that kids and parents are aware that kids will be safe on their buses” said Nathan Graf, general manager of HISD's Transportation Services Department.
Graf also notes the importance of promoting training and safety messages to HISD bus drivers. The Counter-Terrorism Bus Driver Training is just one of the ways HISD continues to promote bus driving safety.
To improve bus safety over the last year, Transportation Services upgraded camera systems on 400 HISD school buses; the remainder of the fleet is scheduled to receive upgrades later this year. Newly installed exterior cameras on the right and left sides, as well as the rear, allow bus drivers a better view of traffic when students are loading and unloading the bus.
Arriving in April and May, 86 new HISD buses will have a front school bus crossing arm. Graf said the feature will protect a driver's blind spot and allow them to see any students that may be crossing in front of the bus. For more information on school bus safety, click here.
