WARRENVILLE, Ill. — Durham School Services, a leading school bus contractor in North America, is advocating for safety awareness during National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 21–25.
The theme of this year’s industrywide public education campaign is “Stand Back from the Yellow and Black!” It highlights the importance of safety outside of the bus and reminds children to stay 10 giant steps away from a school bus at all times so the driver can see them.
Michele McDermott, senior vice president of safety and human resources, emphasized the importance of school bus safety education.
“School buses are one of the safest ways for children to get to school. Most student injuries actually happen outside of the school bus. Parents should remind children to always stand back from the bus, only cross in front of the bus crossing gate, and be alert around school buses. That means don’t text, talk on cell phones or listen to MP3 players,” she advised.
Durham School Services’ top priority is to provide safe student transportation. Durham is part of National Express Corporation, which has been recognized for its extensive efforts in safeguarding its passengers and employees. All NEC Area Safety Directors have earned professional safety certification through the Institute for Safety and Health Management. Also, NEC is the first and only student transportation provider to achieve ANSI Safety Management System certification in recognition of robust, best in-class Occupational Health and Safety Systems.
Durham also uses the latest technology to further assure safety on its buses. All Durham buses are fitted with electronic fleet management systems that offer GPS services, enhanced pre-and-post trip bus inspection procedures, and provides child-check assistance to be sure no sleeping children are left on the bus.
For more information, visit www.durhamschoolservices.com.
