School bus safety reminders to be aware of as classes start

JACKSON, Tenn. — School bus safety is a major concern to the transportation center for the Jackson-Madison County School System.

Over the past week, bus safety has made several parents anxious. With WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News tipsters reaching out as well as several online posts, residents are wondering why others don’t slow down or stop for school buses.

Safety Coordinator Thomas Prather gave us tips on how residents of the community can help buses stay safe.

“School buses run a lot of routes. They have a lot of kids on the bus, so we just ask the motoring public to just be aware that those buses are out there. If you see the yellow flashing lights on the top of the bus, that means that bus is getting ready to stop,” said Prather.

You should remain at least 4 to 5 car lengths behind a school bus.

On Monday, August 12 a wreck occurred between a truck and a school bus in Jackson. The bus was rear ended while following protocol by stopping at the railroad tracks.

All that were on the bus faced non-life threatening injuries and were released.

“Railroad crossings–school buses will stop at the railroad crossings, they’ll put on their yellow hazard lights, stop, open the door, look both ways and then proceed. So be aware of that also,” said Prather.

He encourages parents to talk to their children about being at the bus stop at least 5 minutes prior to it coming.

He said that kids should not run to the bus or hang out of the bus windows, and make sure that when exiting the bus, don’t go behind it.

There is also a way to contact the transportation center if you have any issues or concerns.

“If you have a cellphone, you can get on that JMCSS website, click on that red icon. It’s a red school bus, and you will pull up the safety complaint number.

To report safety violations, contact the number on your screen 731-215-2705.

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