In light of recent accidents around the nation involving vehicles not employing safe driving practices around school buses, it is good to be reminded of some important safety tips. Olympia operates 20 routes in the mornings and afternoons transporting students in grades Pre-K through 12 to and from school every day.
Please keep the following tips in mind for students and parents:
Arrive early to your bus stop to avoid rushing to the stop when the bus arrives.
When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Stay at least ten feet away from the pickup point if possible.
Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop and has stopped traffic with their stop arm before approaching the bus to board.
Never cross the street behind the bus. Wait until the bus pulls completely away from the stop if you have to go behind the bus.
Be alert and slow down when driving in neighborhoods with bus stops.
Watch for children walking, playing, or assembling near bus stops. Children arriving late to a bus stop may dart through traffic to try and get to their bus stop before the bus departs.
Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is coming to a bus stop to pick up children. Slow down and be prepared to stop.
Red flashing lights and the stop arm extended indicate that students are getting on or off the bus. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
When pulling up to a bus that has their red lights flashing and their stop arm extended, please use the diagram below to know your responsibilities as a driver.
The video below is an ABC News video from 2014. We ask that everybody takes caution when driving around school buses. The video below has several examples of drivers not paying attention to the lights and stop arms on school buses.