CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - This third week of October, school districts across the country observe National School Bus Safety Week. Millions of children ride the school bus every day, and although the school bus is one of the safest vehicles on the road, children are at great risk when approaching and leaving the school bus. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 26,000 bus accidents happen each year in the U.S. alone. Ways to keep children safe boarding or exiting school buses Drivers, parents, and students must understand proper bus safety procedures. Drivers need to stay aware and patient, especially around school buses. Pay attention to bus stop signs and know that students may be crossing nearby. Parents should discuss bus safety with their children at home. Stress the importance of staying seated and staying outside a 10-foot radius around the bus, also known as "the danger zone", and encourage them to always wait for the driver's signal to walk safely. Drivers must also stay patient, and expect delays behind buses. "It's an inconvenience and a delay,' said school bus driver and author, Valerie Higley. "But remembering the big picture that there are children that are on that bus and so many families and so many lives are impacted by that one ride." Higley is a school bus driver and author of the children's book "Shaman Rides the School Bus". Her book appeals to a young student audience, helping them learn how to best behave on and around the bus with Shaman by their side. "In the book, we cover things like the danger zone and how to know when it's safe to cross," Higley said. "If they cross the street, [every student] should always be stopping at the end of the crossing arm, looking at the driver for the universal signal that it's safe to cross." Higley also stressed the importance of carrying bus safety discussions beyond just this week. With proper education, care, and awareness, drivers and students alike, can help ensure a safe commute. Local News Headlines Crews working on traffic signal outage on Route 5 in West Springfield Importance of discussing “danger zone” around school buses Suspect arrested after police target three Massachusetts homes for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine A look at how dry Massachusetts has been WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.