Drivers passed a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop-arm out more than 43.5 million times during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a survey of bus drivers by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, cited in an NHTSA best practices guide.
NHTSA's guide, titled Reducing the Illegal Passing of School Buses, cites another survey where more than 3,500 people were asked why they think drivers pass a stopped school bus. Almost a third said the driver likely didn't care, while one in four said the driver was in a hurry. Others said it was possible the driver didn’t stop because they were unaware of the law, while others in the survey said that same driver might have been distracted.
“Every one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands has a law making it illegal to pass a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop-arm deployed indicating it is stopped to load or unload students,” NHTSA writes in its guide. “While the number of actual pedestrian crashes caused by stop-arm violations is low, the potential for injury or death is high.”
AutoVision News Radio is extending its support for the National Safety Council and its Back-to-School Safety Checklist, which includes tips for children who walk, bike, or ride the bus to school.
In this quick five-minute episode, AV Radio host Carl Anthony summarizes the National Safety Council's checklist and recalls advice from his childhood bike-riding days, shared with him by teachers and local police officers.
