School bells will be ringing later this month as students return to North Carolina classrooms.
While the school year for year-round and charter schools may have already started, most traditional public schools in the state will start the week of Aug. 24.
Keeping our kids safe as they travel to and from school, whether by bus, car, bicycle or foot, is of utmost importance.
More than 14,000 school buses carrying about 800,000 students will operate on the state’s highways every day. Fortunately, most school bus trips across our state and our nation are uneventful. However, sometimes school bus trips end in tragedy.
According to the National Safety Council, there were 110 fatalities in crashes involving school buses in 2024. While that represents a decrease of 14% over the 128 deaths in 2023, it’s still 110 too many.
Most of the 2024 fatalities – 70 – were occupants of other vehicles. Seventeen of the 110 were either school bus passengers or school bus drivers. The remaining were either pedestrians, bicyclists or other non-occupants.
We all have a role to play when it comes to keeping children safe during their trips to and from school. Caution should rule when we see a school bus, school children walking to class or are driving in a school zone.
Passing a stopped school bus can result in a motorist adding four insurance points to their policy, which could double their automobile insurance premiums.
With insurance and safety implications in mind, here are some safety tips for us to follow:
For drivers:
- If you see a school bus with lights flashing, slow down and prepare to stop.
- Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children.
- Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off the bus.
For pedestrians:
- Walk on sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk and you must walk in the street or road, walk facing traffic.
- Before crossing the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming. Never dart out in front of a parked car.
- Parents: Practice walking to school with your child, crossing streets at crosswalks when available.
- Never walk while texting or talking on the phone.
- Do not walk while using headphones.
For bicycle riders:
- Always wear a helmet that is fitted and secured properly.
- Children need to know the rules of the road: Ride single file on the right side of the road, come to a complete stop before crossing the street and walk the bike across.
- Watching for opening car doors and other hazards.
- Use hand signals when turning.
- Wear bright-colored clothing
For bus riders:
- Teach children the proper way to get on and off the bus.
- Line up six feet away from the curb as the bus approaches.
- If seat belts are available, buckle up.
- Wait for the bus to stop completely before standing.
- If you must cross the road, walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
For motorists, in addition to obeying the stopped school bus law:
- Don’t block crosswalks.
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and take extra precautions in school zones.
- Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians.
- Stop far enough back from a school bus to allow children room to safely enter and exit the bus. The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children.
School is starting soon. Let’s make this school year a safe one.