West Chester, Pa (August 19, 2024) –With many students preparing to return to class in the coming days, state Senator Carolyn Comitta is reminding motorists to drive safely, pay extra attention around schools and bus stops, and follow Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law.
“The back-to-school season means there will be more school buses on our roadways, more children at bus stops, and an increase in traffic, especially around schools,” Comitta said. “It’s an exciting time of year, but please stay focused while driving. Allow extra time for your commute, put down your cell phone while driving, and pay extra attention when approaching a school bus or crosswalk.”
Under Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law:
- Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arms extended.
- Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, overtaking a bus, meeting the bus, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
- Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
- If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails, or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
- Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
- The penalties for violating the School Bus Stopping Law can be significant, including a 60-day driver’s license suspension, five points on your driving record, and a $250 fine.
According to PennDOT, each year hundreds of drivers in the Commonwealth are convicted for passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. In addition, some school districts have equipped school buses with stop-arm cameras, designed to capture and record violations (those violations include a $300 fine).
Nationwide, an estimated 251,000 vehicles illegally passed school buses in a single day according to a survey of school bus drivers conducted this year by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services. That was up from the 242,000 estimate for last year.
Motorists are also reminded to slow down to the posted speed limit of 15 mph in school zones, which are particularly busy in the morning and afternoon hours during student arrival and dismissal.
Comitta, a former public school teacher and member of the Senate Education Committee, also said parents and families should talk with bus riders about safety while boarding, deboarding, or waiting for the bus, including standing back from the roadway while waiting, never running after the school bus if it has already left, never crossing the street behind a bus, and walking at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing.
In addition, students can do their part to stay safe while walking or crossing roadways by unplugging from phones and electronic devices, using crosswalks and intersections with crossing guards, making eye contact with drivers, wearing visible clothing, especially in the early morning and evening hours, watching for turning vehicles, and traveling in groups.
“We all want our children and students to get to school safely and come home safely. And we all have a role to play in ensuring they do,” Comitta said.
More than 30,000 buses transported nearly 1.5 million children about 400,000 miles on Pennsylvania roads last year, according to PennDOT.
For more safety tips, visit penndot.pa.gov
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