Safe In 60: Top Mistakes Motorists Make Around School Buses

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Ask any school bus driver and they will tell you that there are motorists who don’t follow the rules when those flashing yellow or red lights are on.

School buses remain the most regulated and are the safest vehicles on the road. The greatest risk is not when your child is riding the bus, but while approaching or after exiting.

That’s why it’s so important for motorists to understand and follow what those flashing lights mean.

• Flashing yellow lights indicate the bus is going to stop soon, either to drop off or pick up children.
• Flashing red lights, usually accompanied by a stop sign arm, indicate children are being loaded or unloaded.

Drivers in both directions must stop if a school bus has flashing red lights.

The exception is if the vehicle is going the opposite way on a road with a median or physical barrier between directions of travel, or on a road with five or more lanes and a center turn lane.

All drivers approaching from behind must stop, with no exceptions, until the flashing lights stop and the bus resumes travel.

If you are driving near a bus or school zone, be alert. Children may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

If your children ride the bus, they should stay six feet back from the curb and wait until the bus is completely stopped and the driver indicates it’s safe before they board the bus.

And when they exit, if they need to cross the street, they should do so in front of the bus, not behind. They should leave a 10-foot gap in front of the bus so the driver can see them clearly and wait for the driver’s signal that it’s safe to cross.

Please don’t ever cut corners when it comes to our children’s safety. Leave early to compensate for school zones and bus stops.

Additional information: https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/pedestrian-and-bicycle-safety/school-bus-safety/