This morning our school bus route driver, Dave, shared this story about what happened as he was picking up students to bring them to school. It is a sobering reminder why we need to be constantly aware as bus drivers, and as motorists as well.
“This morning I was stopped, with the red warning lights flashing (this is when you legally need to stop), and a car came flying through between me and the right-side curb where my student was standing, about to board the bus. The car missed her by about a foot. Unfortunately, due to the speed of the car, and the lovely weather this morning, I was not able to get a plate.
“Just stop. I don’t care how big of a hurry you’re in. When a bus is stopped with its red lights flashing, STOP. It’s not worth hitting a child.
“This student and I got lucky this morning… she’s very good about watching for cars due to the high volume of them that pass me at this particular stop on a regular basis.”
It is so important that every motorist knows and respects the rules of the road around school buses.
If the bus shows yellow/amber lights, it is slowing down to make a stop. If the bus shows red flashing lights, it is stopped to let students on or off the bus. Do not pass a bus on either side with red flashing lights.
