Keep Our Kids Safe: National School Bus Safety Week October 17-21

In support of National School Bus Safety Week, October 17-21, 2022, the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is working with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers about the importance of school bus safety. In West Virginia, it is illegal to pass a school bus while the school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing. Although the school bus is one of the safest modes of transportation, illegal school bus passing is a deadly risk to bus riders and their caretakers.

“It is so important that drivers in West Virginia obey the school bus stop-arm laws. We need to keep our students safe,” said Gov. Jim Justice.

Statistically, school buses are the safest way to transport school children. Yet more injuries and fatalities occur outside of or near a school bus because a motorist has failed to obey the stop-arm warning or to follow local traffic laws. From 2011 and 2020, there were 1.6 times more fatalities among pedestrians (183) than occupants of school buses (113) in school-bus-related crashes nationwide. A total of 218 school-age children (18 and younger) died in school-bus-related crashes in the U.S. during that period, either as occupants of school buses or other vehicles, or on foot or bike. Of the 218 deaths, 85 were children who were walking.

“The laws regarding stopping when a school bus is stopped are not a suggestion. Drivers need to be especially careful when yellow flashing lights are active, as they indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles,” said Bob Tipton, GHSP Director.

Motorists should come to a complete stop in front of and behind the school bus when the red lights are flashing, and the stop-arm is extended. Motorists may begin moving only when the red flashing lights are turned off, the stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins to move.

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 a child may not be seen by the bus driver and, therefore, 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
Behind the school bus

“Some kids are hit by vehicles because they are in a hurry to get on and off the bus,” continued Tipton. “Children are at greater risk, since they assume motorists will see them and will wait for them to cross the street. Drivers should be extra cautious in school zones and near bus stops.”

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 nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety#the-topic-bus-stop-safety.

For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.

Keep Our Kids Safe: National School Bus Safety Week October 17-21

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