Back-to-School Safety

Know the Rules for Driving Near a School Bus

School buses are one of the safest forms of transportation on the road today.  The reality of school-bus safety is that more children are hurt outside the bus than inside as passengers.  Most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related crashes are pedestrians, four to seven years old.  They are hit by the bus or by motorists illegally passing a stopped school bus. 

Know the laws and procedures for sharking the road safely with school buses.  All 50 states have laws making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.  School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop to load or unload children.  Red flashing lights and an extended stop-sign arm signal to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus.

Source:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration