School Bus Safety Original Post: Fall 2007 Current: 2010

Oak Creek Police Department Community Resource Bureau 301 W. Ryan Road Oak Creek, WI 53154 414-762-8200

Every fall, drivers share the road with school buses. Since they carry very precious cargo- please take the time to review what to do when you see a bus.

A stopped school bus with flashing red lights –

This means stop! You must stop at least 20 feet in front of or 20 feet behind the bus. You may not pass the bus. In addition to the red lights, you may see a stop sign extended from the bus which means children are in the process of boarding or exiting.

It is critical that you stop in these situations because sometimes children are required to cross in front of the bus to get to their homes. Children are protected only when you stop when you see the flashing red lights.

Roads with 2 or More Lanes

If you pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights, the bus driver can write down your license plate number and it is possible to be fined up to $360.00 and lose 4 points!

Multi-lane Divided Hghway

As Oak Creek gains more divided highways it is important to understand the law. All lanes moving in the same direction of travel as the school bus must stop at least 20 feet behind the bus when a school bus is stopped with flashing red lights. Opposing traffic may keep moving.

What if the bus stops with flashing YELLOW LIGHTS?

You may proceed with caution. Yellow flashing lights are primarily used in places where there are sidewalks and curbs. In these situations, kids are instructed to get off the bus, wait on the sidewalk for the bus to pull away, then cross the street at a marked intersection only when the bus has left and the traffic is clear.

This type of stop is rarely, if ever seen in Oak Creek, with its rural road system. Some municipalities require buses to use red flashing lights even where there are sidewalks, so it is important to know the municipal laws of your area. If red lights are used – you must stop at least 20 feet in front of or 20 feet behind the bus, and you may proceed only when the bus operator begins driving or stops the flashing red lights.

A school Bus stopped at a railroad crossing means several things:

On a two-lane road, you must stop when following a school bus (or any vehicle required to stop), but not when approaching one.

On a road with two or more marked traffic lanes in the direction you are proceeding, you must stop behind the bus if you are in the lane directly behind the bus. If the bus is in the far right lane you may use the lane to the left to proceed.

A special word to parents:

Many parents don’t drive as carefully as they should around school buses. If you are a parent, and you drive your child to and from school, you must drive very cautiously around the school buses in the school parking lot. Parents drive close to school buses on a much more frequent basis than the average motorist. So please, drive carefully and watch for the kids where the school bus is located.

Each year, a great number of crashes involving school buses are caused by drivers of other motor vehicles. Police cite driving too fast for conditions as the main reason vehicles collide with buses. Failure to yield and inattentive driving are the other major causes.* So wherever and whenever you see a school bus, please use caution.

You’re not only protecting the kids on the bus, you’re protecting yourself.

*DOT – BUREAU OF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INFORMATION