Safety Saves

School Bus Safety

Being aware of school buses on the road is important for all members of a community. School buses are designed to protect occupants, but they can be dangerous to pedestrians and drivers who do not follow traffic laws.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of 120 people are killed each year in school-transportation related crashes in the U.S. Between 2010 and 2019, 69% of people killed in these crashes were in non-school vehicles. Approximately two-thirds of pedestrians killed in school bus crashes were struck by school vehicles; one-third were struck by other vehicles.

Rules for Drivers:

  • Slow down when a school bus starts flashing its yellow lights.

  • Drivers traveling in either direction of a two-lane or undivided road must stop at least 25 feet away from a school bus with flashing red lights.

  • If the highway is divided by a barrier, cars traveling in the opposite direction of the stopped school bus should slow down to 10 mph when passing. Cars on the same side of the road as the bus should stop at least 25 feet away from it.

  • Drivers should not attempt to pass a school bus until after the flashing red lights are off.

  • Always watch for children in the vicinity of schools and buses.

Rules for Pedestrians:

  • Arrive at bus stops at least five minutes before the scheduled pick-up.

  • Avoid walking on roadways and remain aware of your surroundings.

  • Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before approaching the door.

  • If you must cross the street, cross in front of the bus, with enough room for the bus driver to see you over the hood. Check left-right-left before crossing.

References:

  1. New Jersey Department of Education. “An Equation for Safety,” https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/transportation/training/BusSafety.pdf.

  2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Back to School: Keeping Children Safe,” https://www.nhtsa.gov/school-bus-safety/keeping-children-safe.

  3. National Center for Statistics and Analysis. “School-transportation-related crashes: 2010–2019 data,” https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813105, (May 2021).

  4. Safe Kids Worldwide. “Alarming dangers in school zones,” https://www.safekids.org/infographic/school-zone-infographic.