CINCINNATI, Ohio — More than 26 million students and their families trust school bus drivers to provide safe and reliable transportation every school day. First Student announced on Feb. 3 that it is joining the American School Bus Council (ASBC) during Love the Bus Month to recognize the care, focus and dedication these drivers bring to their ever-important job.
School buses are the safest form of student transportation. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, school buses are approximately 70 times safer than passenger cars and 10 times safer than walking.
First Student drivers transport more passengers per day than all domestic airlines combined. The company’s hiring, training and ongoing development programs help deliver a ride that is nearly twice as safe as the industry average.
“Students, parents and school districts rely on us to provide the best start and finish to the school day,” said First Student President Paul Osland. “Our drivers take great pride in their ability to directly impact a child’s life. Through their daily interactions, they work to create a positive bus experience, which makes it easy to love the bus.”
Technology has also made school buses safer than ever. First Student has been a pioneer in developing, designing and investing in innovations to improve transportation for school districts. The company was the first to install GPS systems and crossing gates on school buses.
In recent years, First Student has also introduced the FirstView District Dashboard and Parent App and First Feedback. FirstView tracks buses in real time and alerts parents to transportation delays or issues. First Feedback is a web-based communication tool that collects, addresses and tracks various comments from the community.
First Student is the most chosen student transportation provider in North America. The company has more than a century of experience providing safe and reliable transportation.
The ASBC created Love the Bus Month in 2007 to provide recognition for drivers, as well as highlight the important role of the school bus in education.
