Follow the Law To Keep Children Safe
Local drivers are, for the most part, back in the habit of obeying safety laws regarding school buses on the roads. But during this National School Bus Safety Week, it is important to remind ourselves not only of the rules but why they are so necessary.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the danger is not just for those still riding on a bus. Between 2013 and 2022 there were 1.5 times more fatalities among pedestrians than occupants of buses — 169 people were killed. During that time 111 school-aged children died in school bus-related crashes. Crucially, between 2000-2022 there were 55 fatalities in crashes that involved a driver illegally passing a stopped school bus, with almost half of those deaths being pedestrians under the age of 18.
If a bus’s stop warnings — red flashing lights and stop sign arm — are activated, the rule is simple. Stop. And be mindful of the danger zone around a bus: 10 feet in front of the bus, where the driver may be sitting too high to see a child; 10 feet on either side of the bus, where a child may be in the driver’s blind spots; and behind the school bus.
“When a school bus’s red lights are flashing and the stop-arm is extended, drivers must slow down and come to a complete stop,” said Jack McNeely, West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program director. “This is not a suggestion, it’s the law.”
For those driving near a bus there are yellow flashing lights to indicate a bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children.
“Motorists may begin moving only when the red flashing lights are turned off, the stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins to move. School bus riders and their caretakers are relying on drivers to follow the law to keep them safe,” concluded McNeely.
Children going to and from school on a bus aren’t thinking about staying safe from the actions of drivers around the bus or the bus stop.
It doesn’t matter whether we’re in a hurry, or did a poor job planning our route, it’s OUR responsibility to follow the rules and keep them safe.