For Immediate Release

Friday, Nov. 2, 2018

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Boxborough Police to Shadow School Buses as Safety Precaution

BOXBOROUGH — Chief Warren Ryder reports that the Boxborough Police Department will be following select school buses and increasing police presence at bus stops on Monday, as a way to increase driver awareness and safety while kids are on their way to school.

“Across the country this week there have been five children struck and killed by vehicles while they were near their bus stops,” Chief Ryder said. “While we thankfully have not had any similar incidents this year, out of an abundance of caution we want to provide more of a police presence at our school bus stops in town.”

The incidents where the children were killed, all of which were under age 10, were in Indiana, Mississippi and Florida.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), approximately 400,000 students in the state are transported to school by buses every year.

School buses are a relatively safe form of transportation. DPH reports that the majority of related injuries occur to pedestrians who are boarding or exiting a bus and are hit by passing traffic or while in one of the bus driver’s blind spots. Children ages 4 to 7 are at the highest risk of injury.

Chief Ryder suggests that parents follow the safety procedures outlined by DPH to prevent accidents this school season:

• Educate children on safe bus riding and walking behaviors when getting on and off the bus.
• Teach young children to take five giant steps (10 feet) in front of the bus and to wait for the driver’s signal before crossing.
• Develop appropriate bus pick-up/drop-off policies.
• Closely supervise children under age 10 who must cross the street after exiting the bus.

The fine for illegally passing a school bus is a maximum of $200. Repeat offenders may have their licenses suspended.

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