Nearly 200 yellow school buses will end their summer hiatus and hit the roads early Monday morning for the first day of school.
Each day, buses travel 2,434,287 miles, carrying 10,500 students in the Rowan-Salisbury School System alone — and that doesn’t include buses used for field trips and athletic events.
Awareness around buses and bus stops is key for keeping children safe, so put down the cell phones and other distractions, keep an eye out for children and be prepared to stop. It’s also vital to teach children to be aware of their surroundings while they’re around buses and other vehicles.
Bus drivers activate the bus’ yellow lights to let other motorists know they’re preparing to stop. Once the red lights are flashing and the stop-arm is extended, passing a bus is illegal.
According to North Carolina traffic laws, all cars going either direction must stop when a bus stops for passengers. The only exception to that rule is if the road is four lanes or more and is either divided by a median or a center turning lane, cars traveling in the opposite direction may pass a stopped school bus.
Illegally passing a stopped school bus could result in five points on an offender’s license, a fine of up to $200 and a large increase in the cost of the driver’s insurance.
“If you’re not sure, stop,” said Tim Beck, Rowan-Salisbury director of transportation. “Err on the side of safety. …If there’s a school bus, there’s a child close by,” he said.