School Bus Safety

The Hard Facts about School Bus Safety

School buses are the safest way to get children to and from school, but injuries can occur if kids are not careful when getting on and off the school bus.

Top Tips for Riding the Bus

Walk with your kids to the bus stop and wait with them until it arrives. Make sure drivers can see the kids at your bus stop.
Teach kids to stand at least three giant steps back from the curb as the bus approaches and board the bus one at a time.
Teach kids to wait for the school bus to come to a complete stop before getting off and not to walk behind the bus.
If your child needs to cross the street after exiting the bus, he or she should take five giant steps in front of the bus, make eye contact with the bus driver and cross when the driver indicates it’s safe. Teach kids to look left, right and left again before crossing the street.
Instruct younger kids to use handrails when boarding or exiting the bus. Be careful of straps or drawstrings that could get caught in the door. If your children drops something, they should tell the bus driver and make sure the bus driver is able to see them before they pick it up.
Drivers should follow the speed limit and slow down in school zones and near bus stops. Remember to stay alert and look for kids who may be trying to get to or from the school bus.
Slow down and stop if you’re driving near a school bus that is flashing yellow or red lights. This means the bus is either preparing to stop (yellow) or already stopped (red), and children are getting on or off.

FYI

Q: If I am driving on ‘Lefferts Rd’ and there is a stopped school bus on a cross street, do I need to stop? How close to the intersection does the bus have to be before I have to stop?

A: It all depends on whether you’re going to pass the bus. “The law states that a motorist cannot pass a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing from either direction (the front or rear) on the same street.” If you’re approaching a bus from a side street, you only have to stop if you would end up in the path of the bus. “If the driver approaches from a perpendicular street and the path of travel does not pass the stopped bus then a motorist is clear to proceed.” “If the driver is turning toward the path of the stopped school with its red lights flashing the driver is required to stop.”

Operation Safe Stop

DID YOU KNOW:

An estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass New York State school buses every day.

THE LAW SAYS:

It is illegal - and very dangerous - to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on top of the bus are flashing. Flashing lights mean the bus is picking up or discharging students.
You must stop whether you are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear.
You must always stop for flashing red lights, even on divided and multilane highways and on school grounds.
Worse yet, the memory of hitting or killing a child may be one you carry for the rest of your life!

PENALTIES FOR PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS:

All convictions are 5 points plus:

First Conviction $250 to $400 Possible Prison - Up to 30 days

Second Conviction (within 3 years) $600 to $750 Possible Prison - Up to 180 days

Third or Subsequent Convictions (within 3 years) $750 to $1,000 Possible Prison Up to 180 days