Unrelated to the new corporate return to work office policies, students are now heading back to school following what I remember as another all too short summer. Approximately 850,000 students and somewhere near 14,500 school buses make the round trip daily in North Carolina and the same numbers in Virginia. With these numbers, you are almost certain to encounter the bright yellow vehicles and their passengers throughout the travels during the to and fro rush hours. The bus traffic safety laws are similar in both states and are configured to provide maximum safety for students loading and unloading. The traffic arm, the flashing lights placed around the vehicles and front bumper cowcatchers are visual signals that the bus is preparing to and eventually will stop for taking on or discharging passengers. One thing the bus signal technologies cannot do is apply your brakes for you. Now, when is a driver required to brake for a stopped school bus?
Drivers travelling in both directions must stop for buses on two-lane roads (one lane in each direction), on two lane roads with a center turn lane, and on four lane roads without separating medians. Only the drivers travelling behind the bus must stop when on a four-lane road with a median and on four-lane roads with a center turn lane. The drivers in the opposite direction under these last two scenarios are not required to stop. None of these requirements apply to designated school activity buses without traffic stop arms. Do be aware school buses are required to stop at railroad crossings. (For more information on traffic laws regarding school buses, visit: North Carolina School Bus Stop Law – What To Do | NC DPS)
Stops and starts is the name of the game for school bus transportation. Not only is it important to watch the little two-legged critters around the school buses but also be aware of the four-legged companions accompanying their two-legged family members off to school and greeting them when they return from an exhausting day of study.
Prepare to encounter delays when heading out the door for work during the school season. There is no meeting, no schedule, no “be on time” event worth more than the safety of little human beings. The legal and financial penalties are severe for motorists violating school bus traffic laws but, in all likelihood, not adequately punitive to deter violations. A recent finding was reported in the New Hanover County, North Carolina school district which identified more than one hundred vehicles passing stopped school buses in ONE day. Safe driving is a requirement and safeguarding the lives of others when operating a motor vehicle is a moral imperative. Don’t let the stopped school buses take you by surprise. Refrain from making hasty driving decisions that could alter your life or the lives of others.
