A child’s first school bus ride can be an emotionally difficult moment for any parents — even the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In a blog post on Monday, NHTSA’s David Friedman described the “nerve-wracking experience” of putting his young son on a big, yellow bus for the first time.

Friedman wrote that he and his wife had many questions before their child’s first school bus journey, including, “Will he be nervous when it sinks in that we’re not getting on the bus too?” The NHTSA official also described feeling “powerless” when his son stepped aboard and waved goodbye.

“But, as a concerned dad and acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I had checked the numbers,” Friedman wrote. “School buses are the safest way to get to school, even safer than in the family car.”

Friedman links to a new NHTSA publication that details myriad safety facts about school buses.

In the blog post, Friedman goes on to list safety procedures for children in boarding and disembarking the school bus. He also gives guidance for all motorists to follow to ensure that students stay safe as they go back to school.

To read Friedman’s blog post, go here.