It’s that time of year again. Summer is coming to an end and a new school year is right around the corner. This means more busses and more pedestrians on the roads, which is why we dedicated this week’s safety meeting to addressing the importance of safely sharing the road. All motorists need to be aware of the laws regarding school buses, school zones, and school bus stops to help prevent dangers from occurring. Young kids don’t always understand the consequences of their actions around traffic, so we have a responsibility to be extra cautious when they’re near the road.
A few points we discussed:
• Passing a stopped school bus is illegal and can result in steep fines.
• If you are traveling the opposite direction of a stopped school bus, you are still required to stop if the road is less than four lanes.
• The area ten feet around a school bus is at the highest risk for a child being hit, so stop your vehicle further than ten feet back to allow space for children to enter or exit.
• Be alert and aware on the road. While children are typically taught about looking both ways, they could dart into the street without looking if they are late or distracted.