Safety Rules! is dedicated to safe travel for children to and from school
and school activities. The name “Safety Rules!” has a double meaning.
First safety rules as in “safety is number one” or, as the kids would say,
“safety rocks”, and second, safety rules are what must be followed to
remain safe during school travel. Both of these perspectives, the priority
for safety and the need to follow safety rules and procedures are vital for
protection of children as they travel to and from school.
While most school travel safety efforts have historically been focused on
school bus safety, school buses only transport one-half of school
children in North America, and any effort to protect school children as a
whole must include travel by car, foot, bike, and non-school buses and
vans.
Safety Rules! is the vision of Ted Finlayson-Schueler (See Curriculum
Vitae.) Ted founded the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) in
Syracuse, New York in 1990 and served as its Executive Director until
2004. During the 10 years from 1994 to 2004, Ted grew PTSI into a
national organization serving the pupil transportation community.
During that time, PTSI experienced a 2,000% increase in revenue and a
1,000% increase in staff. While Safety Rules! does not aspire to be an
organization with a large staff, it does aspire to have a significant impact
on the safety of school travel.
Safety Rules! vision for itself is to be “A powerful force for school travel
safety.” The vision will be accomplished through speaking, writing, and
consultation with school districts, contractors, government agencies,
advocates, manufacturers, and other individuals similarly dedicated to
safe school travel. Safety Rules! will:
- Drive for the establishment of high best practice standards for
school travel. - Undertake research and writing that will make the connections
between policy, practice, and safety. - Call for accountability for those responsible for the protection of
school children traveling to and from school. - Advocate for safety in all modes of school travel.