School officials stress school bus, school zone safety ahead of new school year

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -With the upcoming return of school, those responsible for transporting our most vulnerable members of the community are urging drivers to exercise heightened caution for children and school buses.

In Bryan, nearly 6,000 students rely on school buses for their daily commute to and from school. While recently there haven’t been any significant incidents, Brittney Williams from Bryan Independent School District (Bryan ISD) Transportation emphasizes that their drivers consistently prioritize safeguarding against potential dangers.

“The goal is to get them home safely and pick them up to get to school safely,” said Williams. “We do unfortunately see on a daily basis cars running those reds so it does become a safety hazard for the children.”

According to a 2019 survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS), instances of illegal passing of school buses occur over 95,000 times daily. The NASDPTS did not conduct surveys in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.

In Texas, more than 9,000 violations involve drivers disregarding stop arms occur each day, including the Brazos Valley region as well.

Bryan ISD School Bus

The Texas Department of Public Safety offers these tips for the new school year.

1. Give students extra room and don’t assume they are paying attention to traffic. Students are frequently distracted by mobile devices or listening on electronic devices and may not be paying attention to their surroundings.

2. Don’t block a crosswalk when stopped at a red light or stop sign.

3. Follow the directions of school crossing guards.

4. Watch for children on bicycles traveling to and from schools.

5. Reduce your speed when you spot a school bus and know children may unexpectedly step into the road without checking for oncoming traffic.

6. Be careful around railroad crossings. School buses are legally required to stop at them.

7. Know laws regarding school buses. According to Texas law, if a bus has alternating flashing red signals visible from the front or rear, drivers MUST stop before reaching the bus. Drivers can only proceed if the flashing lights are no longer activated, the driver signals you to proceed or the bus has resumed driving. Approaching drivers do NOT have to stop for a school bus that is operating a visual signal if the road is separated by a physical barrier or an intervening space. If a highway is only divided by a left-turn lane, it is not considered divided and drivers must stop for school buses.

8. Drivers who illegally pass a school bus face fines of up to $1,250 for the first offense. For people convicted of the offense more than once, the law allows for the person’s driver’s license to be suspended for up to six months. A ticket for this offense cannot be dismissed through defensive driving. Criminal charges are possible if a driver causes someone serious bodily injury.

9. Always obey speed limits and traffic laws in school zones.

10. Remember, texting while driving is illegal in Texas.

When do you have to stop for school buses?

Drivers are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its yellow and or red lights flashing and STOP arms extended. The only exception is on a divided highway with a raised divider or median. On a two-lane street, all drivers moving in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children and the school bus stop arm is no longer activated.

On a multi-lane street or highway( SH6, SH21, SH30, SH 47, etc) with a paved median, all drivers moving in either direction must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children and the school bus stop arm is withdrawn.

On a divided highway or highway( SH6, SH21, SH30, SH 47, etc) traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic. However, these motorists should slow down and watch for students loading or unloading from the bus.

Traffic Safety for School Buses