With over 8,500 school buses and vehicles now on the road each school day, Iowa drivers are asked to slow down and take precautions.
“Iowa schools are officially back in session, and the start of the school year is always a time of adjustment for not only students but also bus drivers and other drivers on the road,” said Tom Simpson, state director for pupil transportation for the Iowa Department of Education. “You can help keep everyone safe by staying alert and practicing caution while sharing the road with school buses.”
Currently, more than 223,000 Iowa students use school buses for daily transportation. With students of all ages and experience riding the bus, Simpson notes that it is important to watch for kids each morning and afternoon, particularly around neighborhood bus stops, crosswalks and in school drop-off lanes.
“Always look for the bus’s flashing lights and when the stop sign arm is extended,” he said. “This means the bus is slowing down, and children will be loading onto the bus or exiting off of the bus. Drivers should adjust their speeds around school buses and be ready to make a full stop to accommodate students.”
Simpson also recommends that students avoid standing too closely to the bus in the “danger zones," where the driver may not see them.
“You’re more likely to be injured when standing around the bus compared to riding in one,” he said. “It is important that the bus driver can see you at all times. By having eyes on the student, the bus driver can instruct when it is safe to approach and get on the bus.”
To assist school bus drivers with safety measures, the Department requires Iowa schools to provide a school bus training with students twice a year. The training teaches students about what to do in an emergency and how to evacuate a bus quickly and orderly.
“With training and a commitment by everyone to slow down, stay alert and work together, we can help ensure school transportation remains a safe way for our kids to get to and from school every day,” Simpson said.
A list of helpful reminders while sharing the road with school buses is offered below.
Reminders for other drivers:
- When the bus’s yellow flashers turn on, that signifies that it is preparing to have a child get on or off the bus. All vehicles behind the bus must slow down and stay behind the bus, and then come to a complete stop when the red flashers turn on.
- If you are approaching a bus from the opposite direction, slow your speed to 20 mph when the bus turns on its yellow flashers.
- On a two-lane road, traffic in both directions must come to a full stop when the lights are flashing red.
- On a four-lane road, traffic moving in the opposite direction must slow down and proceed with caution when either red or yellow flashers are present. Traffic moving in the same direction must slow down and stay behind the bus when the yellow flashers are present, and then stop when the red flashers are present.
- Stop your vehicle at least 15 feet from the bus.
- Remain stopped until the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm is pulled back in.
- Failure to comply can result in expensive fines, license suspension and even time in jail.
Reminders for students:
- Stop and look both ways before crossing a street.
- Make sure your bus driver can see you when you are crossing in front of the bus. If you can't see the driver, the driver can’t see you.
- Never cross behind the bus.
- When getting on or off the bus, never cross the street until the bus driver signals it’s OK to cross.
- If you drop something near the bus, do not pick it up. Instead, tell the bus driver what you dropped, and let the driver instruct you on what to do.