Ada Exempted Village Schools and the surrounding community recognize National School Bus Safety Week, October 16-20. The national theme this year is BEEP! BEEP! School bus safety starts with me.

More than 800,000 Ohio students ride on school buses each day, and nearly 15,000 bus drivers, mechanics, secretaries and supervisors statewide are dedicated to providing safe transportation for Ohio children.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tells us that students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car.

This year's national campaign is focused on reminding us that safety starts with me and the importance of motorists in keeping our students safe. Ohio law requires motorists to stop clear of the school bus until the bus driver cancels the red lights and the bus begins to move.

"Ensuring the safety of our students is crucial," is the message from transportation supervisor Britton Devier. "We are training our bus drivers to be cautious, but we need help from all motorists to make sure our children are safe at their stops and getting on and off the school bus."

The Ada EVS transportation department offers the following tips to remind your child while getting on and off the bus:

• Get to the bus stop early and wait at your designated place of safety.
• Approach and enter the bus after the driver signals.
• Take 10 giant steps away from the bus when unloading.
• Always follow the driver's directions for how to cross the street. Be alert to traffic and look both ways.
• If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus.

Thank you to our Ada bus drivers for their commitment to student safety and dedication to our district.