NHTSA unveils school bus promotional posters

CINCINNATI — As part of its campaign to help the industry promote school bus ridership, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new set of posters with some strong messages.

At the association conferences in Cincinnati earlier this week, Leah Walton, NHTSA’s pupil transportation and pedestrian program manager, unveiled the promotional materials, which were developed with input from industry officials.

The three posters show parents with their kids next to a school bus silhouette and the header “My choice … their ride.” Each one has an eye-catching chart and facts on why parents should choose the school bus over other modes of transportation for their kids.

“Students are about 50 times more likely to arrive at school alive if they take the bus than if they drive themselves or ride with friends,” one of the posters declares.

Another poster describes the many safety features of school buses, while the other focuses on the environmental and traffic benefits of opting for the yellow bus.

To download the posters for free, go to www.nhtsa.gov/School-Buses and click on the links under “Facts.”

Walton also told conference attendees that NHTSA’s School Bus Driver In-Service Safety Series is now online. At the address above, look for the in-service link under “Additional Resources.”