Bus Safety Week Kicks Off

Gov. David Y. Ige and the Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) kicked off School Bus Safety Week with a proclamation ceremony on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. The weeklong celebration from Oct. 22 through 26, is part of a national initiative to highlight the importance of school bus safety. In honor of this year’s theme, “My Driver – My Safety Hero,” students and parents are encouraged to thank school bus drivers and show their appreciation.

Governor David Y. Ige, the Hawaii State Department of Education and community supporters kicked off School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 22-26, with a proclamation ceremony.
PC: Department of Education

“There are more than 650 public school bus drivers in Hawai‘i who are committed to providing safe transportation for 38,000 students on a daily basis,” said Dann Carlson, assistant superintendent, Office of School Facilities and Support Services. “School Bus Safety Week is an excellent opportunity to remind our school communities of the measures they can take to help keep these students safe.”

During the proclamation ceremony, Gov. Ige encouraged everyone to slow down and pay attention when they approach a school bus. State law requires that drivers come to a complete stop when they see the stop sign deployed and flashing red lights on the school bus.

He also praised the Department for making significant improvements to its school bus safety, stating, “Innovative security measures are helping to make school buses safer for our public-school students, and neighborhood school bus drivers are doing their part to keep Hawai‘i’s keiki safe. Motorists can help by slowing down and using caution when driving near school campuses as buses drop off and pick up students.”

HIDOE’s “Get On Board” program transformed Hawai‘i public school’s student bus system, which included installing GPS-tracking devices and video surveillance cameras on all school buses. Another key milestone involved launching an online bus stop locator and bus schedule information web application called, “Infofinder i.”

Governor Ige and Hawaii artist Hank Taufaasau pose next to the original oil painting that inspired this year’s National School Bus Safety Week poster for Hawai‘i.
PC: Office of the Governor

A special School Bus Safety Week poster created by Hawai‘i artist Hank Taufaasau will be on display and posted at school campuses statewide. For more information about the National School Bus Safety Week, click here.