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School Bus Safety And Traffic Laws
August 13, 2018
It’s the first day of school in Escambia County, with more than 40,000 students making their way to and from school. About 25,000 of them will be on board 300 school buses across the county.
Parents are reminded to instruct their children to be at the bus stop at least five minutes before scheduled bus arrival time, stay off of the roadway, observe and stay clear of traffic, stay out of the bus blind spots, don’t chase after the bus once it leaves the bus stop, and buckle seat belts as soon as they board.
Motorists are reminded to give themselves plenty of time to get where they’re going and to be patient in traffic. They should watch out for school buses, comply with bus-passing laws, and stay off of those cell phones.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, drivers must follow these school and school bus safety rules:
- Adhere to the posted speed limit in designated school zones.
- When approaching an intersection where a crossing guard is present in the crosswalk with the stop sign raised, do not cross – or turn – into the crosswalk until the guard has completely left the crosswalk.
- Never stop a vehicle in a manner that blocks a crosswalk.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from behind) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you must stop.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from front) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you also must stop, unless:
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by an unpaved space at least five feet in width, or
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by a physical barrier.
- You are required to stop at least 10 feet away from the school bus.
- You must not resume driving until the school bus turns its lights off and withdraws its stop sign.
- Be certain all exiting children have reached a safe place before proceeding.
Comments
4 Responses to “School Bus Safety And Traffic Laws”
I hope school bus drivers are instructed to NEVER let kids cross 5 lanes to get to the other side. You pray everyone stops like they should but that is not a given. I can envision someone not paying attention and swerving to the left into the paved center section to avoid hitting the car ahead and stricking a child. I hope bus drivers take the time to travel both directions during their route in that scenario.
Remember these are excited kids. They will turn around and run back to the bus for whatever. Make sure they are not running back. Stop 10 ft behind the bus! Not on its bumper. There is nothing more important than the children. Also, if you are a witness to a wreck, please stick around and say so.
I wish idiots on 9 Mile Rd remembered this. Few times a week there are morons who just don’t stop, or are having to lock up the brakes to avoid a crash.
I have seen vehicles come up behind buses & pass on Hwy. 29 while stopped, & even worse while kids are unloading even up here in the north end of the county. There’s crazies up here too not just in town. Use a little respect, thoughtfulness & common sense. If you don’t want anyone taking chances with your kids please don’t take chances with anyone else’s. If you see a bus take precautions and do not try to time the kids getting off, just go ahead & slow down and Stop. I pray and hope nothing happens to any kid but I’m not going to be too understanding when you hit one or a bus when I saw you being careless, like not trying to slow down and you come up on them too quick because being truthful it wasn’t an accident that you didn’t see the bus, it was really that you were trying to time them where you wouldn’t have to slow down or stop.