Is Itlegal to Ride a Scooter with a Preschooler?

I work as a physical therapist in a school district. Preschool is only at certain campuses within the district so he needs to go to the school they can provide the best services for him. The bus he will ride will have an aide to help them get on and off the bus. They will NOT let him off without you being right there to pick him up and they will not release him to anyone but one of his parents unless you make other arrangements before hand. You will not be allowed to ride the bus. He will be on the bus with only other preschoolers his age (3-5). I would let him ride the bus. If he is really small or has low tone, they provide car seats for the children. He will be supervised the entire time.

Riding the school bus is actually very safe. It is also fairly common for 3 year olds to ride the bus, as that is the age that children might qualify for PreK and other programs. Some school districts even have a bus just for that age group. Even if they don't, most bus drivers will be very protective of the little ones.

My son is in kindergarten, and the bus stops in front of our house. I walk him to the bus. After school he is dropped off in front of our house, and I am there to greet him.

I understand that what your mother saw would terrify her. I know I would be horrified. I do believe it was a freak accident and is incredibly unlikely to happen.

Honestly, I think the school bus is by far the safer choice.

The bus is still going to be safer than the scooter. And if you could ride on the bus with him, how would you get back home? Talk with someone at the school about your concerns, and in meanwhile, work on teaching him more English. Maybe an older kid at the school who is also riding the bus can look out after him.

Bus accidents with kids do happen, but fortunately not often - tragic stories always hit the news, but millions of school kids ride the bus without incident every day. But the laws here in the U.S. are different and I doubt they are going to allow for you to ride a scooter with your son. I don't know how traffic compares in Indonesia, but here there may be more cars and they are moving at a greater rate of speed, so it may not be as safe as you think.

You really need to contact your local DMV (department of motor vehicles) office. Laws will vary depending on the type of scooter you are riding. Here is the website: http://www.azdot.gov/index.asp

My first thought is your worried about his safety on a school bus. But you would put him on a scooter that you've just learned to drive? I'd stick with the bus and talk over your concerns with the school. You can take him to the bus and make sure he gets on OK. And be waiting afterwords.

The bus is not your ordinary big yellow bus. The bus the preschoolers ride to and from developmental preschool is the small buses with seat belts on them. The kids are with an aid/adult at all times and there would not be any pushing or shoving. The aids are trained to work with children with no verbal skills and they would be very aware of the language delays/differences of your son. All the kids are preschoolers and are not mixed with older kids. I don't think they would allow you to ride the bus with them, as you need to be qualified/screened to be with the children. However, if you are really worried, follow the bus if you can get transportation to see how they get the kids on and off the bus at school.

I truly believe the bus is much much more safe than a scooter...especially with crazy phoenix drivers.

No it is not legal as they are required to be in car seats in a moving vehicle, and yes you do need a license for the type of scooter you are talking about that is allowed on roads with high traffic.

There is a big difference in the traffic patterns for Indonesia and the US and that is the reason for the stricter laws.

You really should look at closer schools, almost all have special needs programs for kids who need them.

Yes, it is illegal -- that is, by law a child must be in a child seat. The only way a child can be in a child seat is in a car. The only exception is a very large vehicle such as a school bus or public bus.

Children die from motor vehicle accidents every day. I absolutely, defnitely, for sure would NOT advise allowing your child to ride on a scooter at any time.

You may have Child Protective Services take your kid away if you do. I have seen that happen once.

Why cant he attend a school closer to home? Even with a speach delay a local school should have aids qualified to help him. Or find a therapist near home to take him to on a city bus, or walk. I see no reason a preschooler should have to travel 40 minutes one way, 4 days a week.

In Texas, no, kids aren't allowed to ride on a 2 wheel motorized vehicle on public roads. Not sure about AZ though.

Hey, I'm assuming you are from Indonesia or lived there for a long time? Has the recent earthquake hit anywhere near where you lived? I hope your friends and family are all ok :)

When we lived in Gilbert, the school sent special buses for the preschool kids. These buses had an aide who helped the kids on and off the bus and sat with them. Also, they did not let the kids get on or off without the parent there as well. Preschool started and ended at a different time than the rest of the school, so they never rode with older kids, and only a few kids their age rode with them. The driver and aide would get to know your son personally so they would know that he doesn't understand much English. I'm sure it would help you feel better if you rode with him once or twice so you could see how it works and the rules they have.

I would let him ride the bus, if you ride along you will be stranded at the school all day until the bring him home....you might ask if you can ride along the first few days to see what it is like. But I would think it would be a special bus and not a regular school bus with various levels of kids riding. Surely they would go to the local schools.

You have to ask the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety about what is legal.

If you drive on the road, you should have a license. Here is the address and hours of the office in Tempe. 1703 E Larkspur Ln, Tempe 85281 M-F 8-5

You can probably pick up a manual at their information desk.

Keep in mind, accidents can happen any where. We have to just live our lives and use as much caution as possible.

Maybe the school can suggest an older child to watch over him until he figures out the routine. Talk with the school and let them know all of your concerns.