Children around the nation are getting ready to return to school this week. Everblades reminds everyone that driver awareness and school bus safety are critical to protect our youth on their journey to and from school.

Drive Cautious Around School Buses and In School Zones

Every driver on the road has a responsibility to help students get to and from school safely. By following all traffic rules and exercising caution, we can work together to avoid accidents and injuries.

• Take extra caution when driving in school zones. Children can be unpredictable so don’t make assumptions.
• Passing a school bus that is stopped for unloading is both illegal and dangerous.
• Traffic from both directions is required to stop when the school bus does.
• Stop at least 10 feet away from the school bus to allow children to cross the road safely.
• Never attempt to pass a school bus on the right hand side of the road.
• Watch for flashing yellow lights on a school bus to be aware of upcoming stops.

Safety Starts with School Bus Drivers

School bus drivers are responsible for safely transporting our youth every day, and should take extra precautions to ensure safe driving. Just like CDL truck drivers, school bus drivers are required to perform pre and post trip inspections to check for faulty equipment or accessories. This helps reduce the risk of a breakdown or an accident. These inspections include items like rearview mirrors, lights, blinkers, windows, tires, and windshield wipers.

Learning how to drive defensively can give drivers a great advantage. Especially when driving in tough winter conditions, being prepared and alert can help avoid problems. Naturally, there are elements that are out of the control of the school bus driver, which makes pre trip inspections and defensive driving all the more valuable. And installing a heated windshield wiper system can help tip the scales towards safety.

Windshield Wipers Affect Student Safety

If a school buses windshield wipers aren’t working properly, the driver’s field of vision can be seriously impaired. Something as simple as a streak across the windshield in front of the driver can lead to a serious accident. It’s important to thoroughly check the windshield wipers for signs of deterioration, wear and tear, and proper functioning. But even a wiper that is functioning properly and in good condition can fail in bad weather. And it is dangerous and unpractical for a driver to pull off to the side of the road and leave their post to clear snow off the windshield wipers.

That’s why Everblades designs heated windshield wipers to fit most school buses. The heated squeegee and wiper blade arms prevent snow and ice from building up on the windshield wipers. When a regular wiper blade gets iced up, it will leave streaks across the windshield and can even get stuck and stop working. With Everblades Heated Windshield Wipers, your wipers will continue to perform to the highest of standards, no matter the conditions!

Everblades is proud to do our part to support school bus safety for our nation’s youth!

Order Heated Windshield Wipers 

for Your School Bus Fleet Today!