National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 16-20. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Pennsylvania and many other organizations nationwide are urging 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. Statistically, the most dangerous times for children who ride school buses are when they are getting on or off the bus. Most often, these tragedies occur because a motorist has failed to slow down and obey the bus’s stop sign, or to follow local traffic laws. Nationally, school bus passing is illegal and it is a deadly risk to bus riders and their caregivers. Drivers should always come to a complete stop when a school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing.
