National School Bus Safety Week is Oct.16-20, 2023. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working alongside Liberty Hill ISD to urge drivers to slow down and be aware of school buses in their communities. 

Although school buses are one of the safest modes of transportation, injuries and fatalities do occur outside of or near the buses. Most often, these tragedies occur because a motorist has failed to slow down and stop for a bus, or to follow local traffic laws. Nationally, school bus passing is illegal and it is a deadly risk to bus riders and their caretakers. Drivers should always come to a complete stop when a school bus stop-arm is extended or the red lights are flashing. Additionally, please be aware that as a passenger vehicle, all school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings.       

“Whether or not a bus stop-arm is extended, when a school bus’s red lights are flashing, drivers must slow down and come to a complete stop for the safety of our students,” said LHISD Director of Transportation Ann Hatton. “Some students may cross in front of the bus to get to the other side of the street.”

Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. This is when motorists should begin to slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles. Motorists may begin moving only when the red flashing lights are turned off, the stop arm is withdrawn (if utilized), and the bus begins to move. School bus riders and their caretakers are relying on drivers to follow the law to keep them safe.

Respect the “Danger Zone”
The school bus loading and unloading area is called the “Danger Zone.” Specifically, this is any side of the bus where the bus driver can’t see the child and, therefore, the child is in the most danger. These areas include:

• 10 feet in front of the bus, where the driver may be sitting too high to see a child,

• 10 feet on either side of the bus, where a child may be in the driver’s blind spots, and

• Behind the school bus.

Passing a stopped school bus is against the law and could have fatal consequences. Nothing is worth the risk. We ask every driver to pay attention, because children’s lives are on the line. 

Let’s work together to keep our children safe as they wait to ride the bus to and from school. Slow down and obey the signs. For more information about school bus stop safety, please visit this NHTSA website.