Brooke Smith Safety Manager View Bio

School days often bring increased congestion to roadways. You’ve got school buses, kids walking and zipping in on bikes to get to school before the bell rings, and parents trying to drop their kids on time. Slowing down and paying attention is more important now than ever.  Especially during the before and after school frenzy.

School Buses

If you’re driving behind a bus, you need to give a significantly greater following distance than if you were just driving behind a car. You never know when the yellow lights will start flashing and you’ll need to stop. It is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.

  • Never pass a stopped bus from behind if it is stopped to load or unload children
  • If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop
  • The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; make sure you stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus
  • Be extremely alert; children are unpredictable. They often have tunnel vision and have only the bus, their path, and their destination in their sight.

Pedestrians

According to the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old, and they’re walking. They are hit by buses, or by motorists illegally passing stopped buses. A few precautions will go a long way toward keeping walking children safe:

  • Never block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn.  This forces pedestrians to go around you, putting them in the path of moving traffic
  • In a school zone, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection
  • Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard
  • Look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas
  • Don’t honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way
  • Never pass a vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians

Bicyclists

On many roads, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as vehicles, but bicyclists can be hard to see. Children riding bikes create special problems for drivers because usually they are not able to properly determine traffic conditions. The most common cause of collision is a driver turning left in front of a bicyclist.

  • When passing a bicyclist, proceed slowly, and leave 3 feet between your car and the cyclist
  • When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, try to wait for the rider to pass
  • If you’re turning right and a bicyclist is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first
  • Always use your turn signals
  • Be alert, watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling
  • Be extra vigilant in school zones and residential neighborhoods
  • Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars
  • Check your side and rear view mirrors before opening your door, an oncoming cyclist may have no idea you’re about to do so

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