Safety when driving near a school or school bus

Driving near a school or school bus can be dangerous if motorists do not take proper precautions to ensure not only their own safety, but also the safety of children nearby. Here is a guide to help you understand the proper protocol to follow as a motorist in a school zone or near a school bus.

Pick up or drop off children at school:

• Each school has a system for picking up and dropping off children. Make sure you know about the school rules and abide by them.
• Do not double park because it reduces visibility for other drivers and can endanger students
• Please park in assigned areas (these have been designed with student safety in mind) and take permitted turns as you navigate the school grounds. Avoid making U-turns and three-point turns.
• While driving, watch out for children on bicycles entering the roadway between parked cars. Also keep a safe distance of at least 3 feet between your vehicle and the motorcycle, and always check your rearview mirror before getting out of your car.
• As a general rule, make sure your child is properly buckled up or in an age-appropriate child safety seat before starting the car. Also, make sure your child gets in or out of the car only through the “safety door,” which is the back door on the curb side.

Driving in a school zone:

• Do not exceed the posted 25 mph speed limit when driving in school zones. In most cases, this speed limit is enforced in school zones between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and between 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Motorists must adhere to this speed limit even if there are no children in sight.
• Slow down when approaching a school crossing
• Do not proceed beyond the school crossing until the crossing supervisor’s hand sign is no longer displayed, or until he/she signals you to proceed.
• If there is no crossing supervisor, but ‘CHILD CROSSING’ flags are displayed, the motorist must stop and wait until all pedestrians have crossed the road.
• While driving through a school zone, avoid honking your horn as it could startle children and cause them to trip or fall into the path of oncoming traffic.

Driving near a school bus:

• Learn to understand the flashing light system on school buses.
• If the lights on the roof of the bus are flashing yellow, be prepared to stop. These lights indicate that the bus driver plans to stop the vehicle to load or unload children.
• If the dome lights are flashing red and the stop sign is extended, it means the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off the bus. At this time, all motorists, regardless of the direction in which they are moving, must stop until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is removed, and the bus resumes movement. In all 50 US states, all vehicles on both sides of the road are required to stop during this process. However, if a median bisects the road, this may not be necessary.
• If you are passing a school bus, make sure there is enough visibility and space in the lane next to you. It is illegal in the US to pass a bus on the right side, as this is where loading and unloading of children takes place. Therefore, vehicles may pass the school bus on the left side on multi-lane highways.
• Remember, although buses have large mirrors to help the driver navigate, these vehicles also have large blind spots. Be aware of this, back up and slow down if you see a bus flash its lights, and allow it to move into the next lane.
• Be especially vigilant near bus stops. Children may be playing at the bus stop to kill time, or they may be late for their school bus and may inadvertently launch themselves into oncoming traffic.
• Keep in mind that buses stop frequently, so keep at least 3 feet of distance between your car and the bus, to give yourself plenty of time to stop as well.
• Do not park at or near a bus stop. In fact, keep enough distance between your vehicle and the bus stop to allow children to enter and exit the bus easily.
• Always remember that children can behave unpredictably and often recklessly. In their haste or excitement, they may not remember the safety concerns associated with walking down the road or picking up something they’ve dropped. Therefore, it is important to look very carefully to make sure the road is clear before negotiating traffic behind a school bus.

These tips will help you drive safely and responsibly while driving in a school zone or near a school bus. If you’d like to share your own thoughts or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below!