Safety when driving near a school or school bus

Driving near a school or school bus can be dangerous if motorists do not take the proper precautions to ensure not only their own safety, but also the safety of nearby children. Here is a guide to help you understand the proper etiquette 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. Be sure to learn about the school rules and abide by them.
• Do not double park as it reduces visibility for other drivers and may endanger students
• Park in assigned areas (these have been designed with student safety in mind) and take permitted turns while navigating the school grounds. Avoid doing U-turns and three-point turns.
• While driving, watch out for children on bicycles entering the driveway 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 gate,” which is the rear 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 08:00 and 09:30 and between 14:30 and 16:00. 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 tells you that you may 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 scare children into tripping or falling into the path of oncoming traffic.

Driving near a school bus:

• Learn to understand the flashing light system on school buses.

• If the bus roof lights are flashing yellow, be prepared to stop. These lights indicate that the bus driver plans to stop the bus 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 which direction they are moving, must stop until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is removed, and the bus resumes motion. In all 50 US states, it is mandatory that all vehicles on both sides of the road stop during this process. However, if a median divides the road, this may not be necessary.

• If you are passing a school bus, make sure there is plenty of visibility and room in the lane next to you. It is illegal in the US to pass a bus on the right hand side, as this is where the loading and unloading of children takes place. Therefore, vehicles can pass the school bus on the left side on multi-lane roads.

• 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 turn on its flashers, 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 dash into oncoming traffic.

• Keep in mind that buses stop frequently, so keep at least 3 feet of distance between your car and the bus, so you have 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 easily get on and off the bus.

• Always remember that children can behave unpredictably and often recklessly. In their rush 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 weave around 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!