Austin ISD joins school districts and transporting agencies throughout the nation to celebrate National School Bus Safety and Transportation Employees Appreciation Week.

“Ensuring the safety of students as they enter and exit the bus is crucial,” said Director of Transportation Kris Hafezizadeh.“We are training our bus drivers to be cautious, but we need help from parents and motorists to make sure they watch for school buses stopped to load and unload children. No issue is so urgent that motorists cannot wait for a school bus.”

Nearly 22,000 AISD students ride one of the district’s 522 school buses each day. More than 650 transportation employees are dedicated to providing safe transportation for these children.

National studies show school buses are the safest method for transporting young people – up to 22 times safer than passenger cars.

AISD’s Department of Transportationoffers the following tips to families to remind their children while getting off and on the bus:

1. Always remain in direct eyesight of the bus driver.
2. Get to the bus stop in plenty of time. Try to arrive at least 5 minutes before the scheduled time.
3. Take 10 giant steps back from the curb while waiting for the bus and 10 steps when exiting the bus.
4. Never try to get anything left on the bus after exiting.
5. Never reach underneath the bus.
6. Always follow the driver’s directions for how to cross the street.
7. Be alert to traffic and look both ways.
8. Always cross in front of the bus, but only when the bus driver signals it is safe to do so.

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Media availability with Transportation Director Kris Hafezizadeh is offered 8:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19 at Nelson Terminal, 7105 Berkman Drive, behind Regan High School’s stadium.