STUDENT TRANSPORTATION OF EASTERN ONTARIO SCHOOL BUS SAFETY WEEK OCTOBER 19 – 23, 2020 SCHOOL BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020

Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO), the transportation consortium for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) and the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB), is joining other transportation consortia and school transportation companies across the province, in promoting the importance of school bus safety during School Bus Safety Week. Held during the third full week of October each year, School Bus Safety Week is a public education program which encourages parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and community members to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety.

In Ontario, over 830,000 students ride safely in over 18,000 school buses, each day. Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario operates over 700 school vehicles, which transport over 30,000 students, across districts in Eastern Ontario daily.

As the school year settles in, STEO taps into School Bus Safety Week to remind motorists to STOP – in the name of love. As students of all ages make their way on their journeys to school – whether by bus, on foot or two wheels – we play a special role in keeping them safe by staying alert and engaged on the road and stopping at school crossings and for school buses that we meet along the way. So, before you break our hearts, remember to STOP – in the name of love.

• STOP FOR SCHOOL BUS RED FLASHING LIGHTS. We need the support of all motorists while buses perform their daily routes. School buses display red flashing lights and a stop sign that is extended from the side of the bus, to alert motorists to stop. The law requires motorists to stop in both directions for a school bus with the red lights flashing.

• PLAN AHEAD AND DON’T RUSH. The safety and wellbeing of students is our priority. No issue is so urgent that motorists cannot take the time to wait for a school bus as it loads and unloads children. To support safe driving around school buses, we ask motorists to schedule additional time for morning/afternoon traffic delays, especially as winter weather approaches.

• OBEY THE DISTRACTED DRIVING LAWS. Please leave your phone alone during your commute. Driving requires your full attention. If you must use your phone, pull over to a safe place away from traffic.

• SPREAD KINDNESS NOT GERMS. This is a unique year to be sure, with many additional measures in place to support school bus safety with COVID-19 in mind. STEO has created a safety video to support students and families in navigating these expectations. The video can be accessed from STEO’s homepage here.