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When motorists don't obey the flashing lights on a school bus, when students don't look both ways before crossing in front of the bus, and when other bus passengers distract the driver, accidents like this one (a dramatization) can easily happen. Teachers from schools throughout Port Perry attended a bus safety seminar last week and will relay their newly learned information to students. See story for details. The Genuine Taste of SPECIALS! FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY 0 Ro BROASTED 2 CHICKEN PLUS Potato Salad and your choice of Cole Slaw or our Carrot Salad ONLY 37.15 MONDAY to FRIDAY 2 PC. DINNER includes 2 pieces Broasted Chicken, french fries, cole slaw and a dinner roll. ha ONLY 32 . 49 -- TRY OUR OWN BAKERY PASTRIES -- BAYSHORE TAKE-OUT 7A HWY. -- BY THE LAKE -- PORT PERRY Phone Ahead for Faster Service. . . 985-3282 : Ours 1s Genuine Broasted Chicken™ because we use only Genuine Broaster® equipment and ingredients. You'll taste the difference, as our exclusive marination gives you that all-the-way- to-the-bone flavor. Its tender, juicy and dehicious. That's Genuine Broasted Chicken. "divided a Teachers become pupils "Safety -- if it's going to be, it's up to me." Everyone is responsi- ble for ensuring their own safety, and the safe- ty of others. If you think you're the exception to the rule, that you'll never find yourself in an acci- dent, you're a little over- confident and at a bus safety seminar last Tues- day afternoon pointed out, you're probably wrong. Dead wrong. "That's exactly what the slogan is all about, the individual. If we could get all these groups working individually towards safety, there would be no accidents. I firmly believe that." The speaker is Blake Williams, director of safety at Travelways, one of the country's largest school bus opera- tions. It's his job to make sure the company's 2,000 - or so big yellow buses stay on the road in one piece through driver and public education. Last Tuesday after- noon, Mr. Williams was one of several speakers at a safety seminar held in Port Perry High School for every public school teacher in the Port Perry area. The teachers were there to learn about bus safety and will in turn relate that information to their 'students in the following weeks. Parents groups will also benefit from the seminar through a special meeting October 25 It's an attempt by various organizations, including Durham Regional Police and the Durham Board of Education to get a han- dle on bus safety on a mass basis. Sparked by several bus accidents in recent months, local parents have continued to increase the pressure on these organizations for more information on bus safety. Last Tuesday's seminar was a result of that pressure. The afternoon was into three workshops, including a For 24 HOUR COMPLETE HEATING SERVICE IN PORT PERRY & AREA CALL: Tom Wilson (day or night) 986-4964 TOM WILSON PLUMBING, HEATING & ELECTRIC P.O. BOX 29 - BLACKSTOCK, ONT. ~ AUTHORIZED ESSO SERVICE DEALER -- Furnaces - Air Conditioners - Boilers - Air Cleaners - Humidifiers - tour of two Simcoe Tran- sit school buses, a film called Death Zones and a lecture and slide show courtesy of Durham Police. Also on hand were various Durham Board of Education of- ficials, including transportation manager Jack Upton. Alberta Winich was one of the Simcoe drivers who explained the safety features of the school bus, while teachers ac- tually sat in one. As she explained, the Ministry of Transportation and Communication can pull over any 'school bus at any time if the vehicle is in any way unsafe. "Drivers canreceive a fine of up to $1,000 for missing something or for , driving an unsafe vehi- cle," she said. 'And the company won't stand up for the driver either, because the driver is supposed to check the bus every day." Each morning, as Mrs. Winich explained, drivers must do a com- plete walkaround the bus, checking mechanical details and fluid levels under the hood, making sure tires are inflated, lights are working; safety --equip- ment in place (including a first aid kit, fire axe and flares or reflectors) and emergency doors and windows are in working order. Then, if everything checks out okay, the driver is re- quired by provincial law to sign a log book. If the driver is stopped by a Ministry cruiser and the log book isn't signed or if equipment is miss- ing, that driver could be . slapped with a fine of up to $1,000. New Durham Board of Education guidelines state that teachers must check log books for the driver's signature before embarking on an 'excursion. Police are also asking teachers to sit in specific seats while travelling by bus. If there's only one teacher on the bug, he or she should sit directly behind the driver (in case something happens to the driver, the teacher can steer the bus safely to the side of the road). If a second teacher or parent is on board, he or she should sit in the last seat in the event of an emergency evacuation out the back door. In the event (and police add that it's an unlikely event) of an ac- cident involving a bus and live hydro wires, passengers must be kept on the bus to avoid elec- trocution. If that proves impossible and people must be evacuated, police say the only safe method of doing so is to have each person jump out of the bus ON ONE FOOT and hop to a safe distance away, approx- imately one bus length. "If you ever have to hop off a bus, it's not a contest to see who can hop farthest and fastest away from the bus," cau- tioned one constable. "Be sensible." Staff Sergeant Thom Homes, presented a slide show to teachers pointing out things that he believes need to be changed on the school bus body. Co Ministry-and say, Mr. Snow, I think your buses are nothing but cracker- boxes. You just can't do that," he said. "But I - learning about safety Jim Snow, he asked for four changes: an eight light system on buses; emergency windows on the sides to be enlarged into doors (to make exits swifter and easier); a side stop arm; and seats that are bolted onto the floor in a more secure manner. Since then, the bolts have changed and the law has made side arms mandatory but the Staff Sergeant would still like to see his first two ideas implemented. "I'm not directing any fault towards any operators or vehicles," he said. "I'm just show- ing the results of some of my investigations." The teachers also saw a. movie called Death Zones in which three ac- tual fatalities involving students and their buses were dramatized. 'All the accidents are preventable," Mr. Williams stressed. "Somebody did something wrong." He claims the cause of all accidents are distrac- tions, adding that students are the biggest distractions on a school bus. In order to lessen the chance of a fatal distraction, he recom- mends drivers be fair and firm with their rules, friendly and consistant. Punishment for of- fenders, under board think some changeshave policy guidelines, is a to be made." necessity, he says. Three years ago, when '"There's no use having he actually did confront rules if the rule breakers Minister of Transporta- aren't punished," he tion and Communication, said. RENT © ECONOMY COMPACT STANDARD &FULL SIZE ANEDWARO DRIVE, PORT PERRY - 985 8474 ANEW © LOWRATES © LONG TERM LEASING _ ®TRUCKRENTALS . OPEN: Weekdaysto9P M .Fridaysta6P M > SaturdaystodPM IAC BUICK LIMITED ] Ln 10V. BEFORE THE SNOW FLIES ... 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