What is Big and Red and Eats Rocks?
What is BIG and RED and EATS ROCKS?
A big, red, rock-eater! It's a children's riddle - to be sure.
Now, here's a question for adults: What is BIG and YELLOW and
has RED FLASHING LIGHTS??
Do I need to tell you it's a stopped School Bus?? Of course not!
We see them on the roads 5 days a week, 9 months of the year,
and sometimes even during the summer.
Did you know that school buses are one of the safest vehicles on
the road? It's true. Even so, there are too many preventable
accidents, injuries and even deaths.
What the public may not realize is this: most accidents causing
injuries to students (our children, our future) happen outside
the bus. Yes, that's right - outside of the bus! There is a lot
of "concern" and even a push to get seatbelts mandated on school
buses. But, in my opinion, there should be more concern for the
student's safety before getting on and after getting off the
bus!
School bus drivers are properly trained in the correct (and
safe) procedure to pick-up and discharge their passengers. The
drivers also instruct the students how to get on and off the
bus, about crossing the street, and to watch out for other
motorists.
It is important to note that, for the most part, motorists are
respectful of the "big yellow." It's sad to say,
believe-it-or-not, there are some drivers around who are more
concerned about their need to "get there" than they are for the
safety of our children.
School Bus drivers all over the country are frustrated by the
fact that drivers who "run their reds" continue to do so -
sometimes on a daily basis. They are difficult to identify
although they, on occasion, are able to get a license plate
number. And when they do, enforcement and prosecution seldom
results from the violation.(1)
But, in another perspective, some motorists are just uncertain
about when and where to stop and when not to stop for a school
bus loading or unloading passengers.
You can find the answers in your state's Digest of Motor Vehicle
Laws, Stopping for a School Bus(2) section.
For Ohio, my state - here's the "short version." The school bus
driver will activate the amber lights three hundred (300) feet
prior to a pick-up or drop-off point. The flashing yellow lights
are a warning signal to motorists that the bus will be stopping.
Once the bus is completely stopped, and before opening the
entrance door, the driver will put the bus in neutral and check
the mirrors for traffic. Opening the door will activate the RED
flashing lights, which are a signal for motorists to stop. A
stop sign will also extend from the driver's side of the bus
below the window.
To put it simply, and in plain English, the rules for motorists
to stop for a school bus loading/unloading in the state of Ohio
are as follows:
On a two-lane roadway, all traffic stops ten feet from the bus
(both oncoming and those traveling in the same direction.)
On a four-lane highway, the traffic heading in the same
direction as the bus must stop (two lanes) ten feet from the
bus. The oncoming traffic is not required to stop. (Discharge of
passengers on a four-lane highway only occurs on the residence
side of the road - no street crossing)
Once stopped for school buses loading or unloading vehicles must
stay completely stopped until the flashing red lights are
deactivated and the bus is put in motion again.
In a nutshell: flashing yellow - (caution) prepare to stop;
flashing red - stop! An easy way to remember if you are required
to stop is to remember the 2-lanes. If it is a 2-lane road, all
traffic must stop. If you are in the 2-lanes going the same
direction of the bus (on a 4-lane road) you must stop.
Two-to-stop!
These laws vary only slightly from state-to-state but are
basically very similar. The only exception might be that all
motorists on a 4-lane roadway must stop unless the highway is
divided by a median. In California, all traffic stops and the
school bus driver crosses the students.
We all know that there is nothing worse than being behind a
school bus when you are on the way to work, especially if you're
in a rush or when you are driving home after a long, stressful
day on the job. School buses are slow, they make a lot of stops,
and sometimes the duration at a stop is increased by the
necessity of operating a wheelchair lift for one of the
passengers.
Here are a few tips to help relieve that additional stress of
having to wait for a bus to load or unload passengers. 1) If you
are delayed several days in a row by a school bus at about the
same time and the same place, try leaving a few minutes earlier
or a few minutes later. 2) Try taking another route, if
possible. You could even drive around the block and get back on
the road you are traveling on by the time the bus completes its
stop. 3) Be patient. Remember, these are our children, our
future. Consider how you would feel if the bus ahead of you was
carrying your child or children. 4) Know the traffic laws
regarding when and where you have to stop for a school bus that
is picking up or dropping off passengers. 5) Know when you don't
have to stop. This can confuse other motorists as well and might
cause an accident.
So, what is BIG and YELLOW and has RED, flashing lights? Be sure
you know when to stop when you see one! It's for the safety of
all our children and for their future.
Linda Porcello is a Transportation Consultant having supervised
school bus drivers and attendants for over ten years. She has
presented seminars and training programs for drivers throughout
Ohio. Linda recently produced a training video; "Transporting
People Who Use Wheelchairs@". This video emphasizes we are
transporting PEOPLE - not just wheelchairs! Linda can be
contacted at Monarch Services - School Bus Stop Div., 6750
Sanborn Road, Ashtabula, OH 44004 phone (440) 997-8243 email
monarch@ncweb.com
(1) Incidents reported from several drivers available on
request. (2) Direct quote from The Ohio Digest of Motor Vehicle
Laws available.