South Fallsburg, N.Y. (Oct. 15, 2022) – Rolling V Bus Corp. is marking National School Bus Safety Week by holding a poster contest for students and announcing recent technology upgrades on its buses that help ensure students’ well-being.
School districts nationwide observe National School Bus Safety Week during the third week in October each year to raise awareness of prioritizing safety year-round. Rolling V, which transports 5,306 students every school day, takes the matter to heart.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children,” said Rolling V Executive Vice President Nick Vallone, who said his company’s buses travel more than 3 million miles annually. “Raising awareness is crucial because safety is up to all of us – students, educators, parents, the entire Rolling V team and all motorists. If you see a school bus picking up or dropping off students, stop and wait. It’s not just the law; it’s one of the simplest and most important things you can do to ensure students’ safety.”
The poster contest engages students in raising awareness of safety while helping them understand best practices they should keep in mind. The contest is open to students in any of the Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley districts Rolling V serves. Each poster must promote the theme “Safely Rolling to My Destination,” and include all or part of a yellow school bus. They should be created during October and will be picked up from the schools by Rolling V on Nov. 4.
The Rolling V Safety Team will then evaluate posters. A winner will be selected for each district in Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grade 6-8 and Special Education (Grades K-12).
Rolling V also announced several new measures – which supplement its long-established comprehensive safety practices – to promote bus safety:
GPS: Every one of Rolling V’s 270 buses is now equipped with a sophisticated version of GPS that enables dispatchers to identify a bus’ location and speed. Alerts are set for excessive speed. “We will recognize bus drivers for good performance, safely transporting students, driving at appropriate speeds and maintaining high on-time performance,” Vallone said.
Digital cameras: Rolling V recently invested $250,000 in upgrades to digital cameras on buses. The cameras allow dispatchers to view drivers and students in real time, including in emergencies. Multiple cameras in each bus show the entire interior.
Emergency button: In an emergency, the bus driver can press a button that notifies the dispatcher of a situation requiring immediate attention, and the system automatically begins uploading live video from the bus to Rolling V’s main office.
About 54% of K-12 students in the United States travel to school on school buses, according to the National Coalition for Safer Roads. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says school buses are among the safest ways for students to get to and from school. But the risk increases when students approach or get off a school bus, the NHTSA says. For that reason, National School Bus Safety week is also a time to reinforce the steps motorists and parents should take to avoid danger, and possibly even a tragedy.
“When you see a school bus slowing down or stopping, it’s not just the bus that you need to have your eyes on – but the surrounding area too,” the NHTSA says on its website. “Children wait at least several feet away from a bus and often cross the street when they’re boarding or getting off the bus.”
Parents can help by ensuring that their bus-riding children secure everything they carry in a backpack so that there’s no risk of dropping something and bending to pick it up. If a student does drop something getting on or off the bus, the child should not bend down to pick it up, but should tell the driver and follow his or her instructions.
“We will continue to do everything possible to ensure that our buses remain safe, comfortable modes of transportation to get students to school ready to learn, and to take them home eager to tell their parents about their day,” Vallone said.
About Rolling V
Rolling V is a family-owned and managed full-service transportation company based in South Fallsburg, N.Y. It is known for exceptional school-bus services, and also provides regional charter coach services. Rolling V has provided safe and dependable transportation for more than 50 years. Learn more at RollingV.com.
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