National School Bus Safety Week
Description
National School Bus Safety Week
Each year, PennDOT participates in National School Bus Safety Week, which will be celebrated this year from Oct. 22-26. The theme for this week is "Stand Back from the Yellow and Black." For more information on School Bus Safety Week, visit National Association for Pupil Transportation.
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 arm extended.
Motorists must stop when they are behind 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or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.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 if convicted of violating Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law include:
$250 fine
Five points on your driving record
60-day license suspension
For more information, review Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law Fact Sheet.
Check out this graphic that helps illustrate Pennsylvania's school bus stopping law.
Tips for Parents/Students
Get to the school bus stop five minutes early, so you won’t have to run across the road to catch the bus.
When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Line up at least five giant steps away from the curb or the roadway to wait for the bus.
Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.
Never push when getting on or off of the school bus.
Always walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing so that the school bus driver can see you.
Be aware – Cross with Care! Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road.
When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.
Talk quietly; do not distract your school bus driver.
If your school bus crosses railroad tracks, be calm and quiet so that your driver can listen for a train. Always obey your school bus driver’s instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions.
Never play with the emergency exits. Backpacks, band instruments, or sports equipment may not block the aisle or emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don’t get caught on the handrail or the door.
Never cross the street behind the school bus.
If you leave something on the bus or drop something outside of the bus, never go back for it. The driver may not see you and begin moving the bus.
Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger.
Operation Safe Stop
Each year, during National School Bus Safety Week, PennDOT works with Pennsylvania State and municipal police departments to conduct Operation Safe Stop. Operation Safe Stop is a proactive approach to educate the motoring public that passing a stopped school bus, when children are loading or unloading, is dangerous and illegal.
On this day, we hope all school districts will participate by having their drivers document any illegal passes occurring on their routes during the day. If possible, the drivers should get identifying information regarding the vehicle and file the information with local authorities.
School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest
Each year, PennDOT sponsors a school bus safety poster contest for students in kindergarten through grade eight. The winners of the poster contest are recognized at an event in Harrisburg held every October as part of National School Bus Safety Week. For more information on the contest, and to view previous winners, click here.