LET’S GO

Safety Tips In School ZonesAugust 2013

For

Sharing The Road With School Buses

The start of the school year brings with it heavier traffic and more people

That route you easily navigated this summer will be more congested and take longer to run

Professional drivers will want to be even more aware of their surroundings

Last year 475,000 school buses took to the roads

Sharing The Road With School Buses

In school zones yield to buses and give them the right of way

When following a bus don’t take a chance with an unsafe pass

Be sure you can perform the pass safely in an authorized passing zone

Don’t force the bus driver into a sudden stop or cause him to swerve off the road

As drivers we must use common sense, be courteous and stay within the law

When you see a school bus think caution

Sharing The Road With School Buses

All 50 states have a law making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children

Yellow flashing lights alert motorists that they are preparing to stop

Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signals motorists that the bus is stopped

All 50 states require that traffic in both directions stop on a undivided roadway when students are entering or exiting a school bus

While state laws vary on what is required on a divided roadway, in all cases, traffic behind the school bus (traveling in the same direction) must stop

Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians

The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit

Never pass a school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences

Be alert. Children are unpredictable

Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians

Do not text or talk on your cell phone while driving.

Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits

Be alert for school zones that have a reduced speed limit at designated times of the day

Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians

Keep an eye out for children walking in the street

Be alert for children playing and gathering near bus stops

When driving in neighborhoods or school zones, watch for young people who may be in a hurry

Sharing The Road With Child Pedestrians

All drivers need to recognize the special safety needs of pedestrians, especially children

Generally, pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections

You as a driver are obligated to exercise great care and extreme caution to avoid striking pedestrians

Sharing The Road Safely With Child Bicyclists

Children riding bicycles create special problems because they are not capable of proper judgment in determining traffic conditions.

Watch for bicycle riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling, especially if the rider is a child.

Take extra precautions in school zones and neighborhood areas where children and teenagers might be riding.

Back-To-School Tips For Truck Drivers

In addition to buses, others will be driving small children to and from school

College students and teenagers will be driving themselves to school

Secondary roads near neighborhoods and schools typically see the greatest traffic increases

Avoid metropolitan areas during rush hour

Additional Safety Tips

Maintain Your Vehicle Properly

Many accidents are caused by vehicle malfunctions

Get Plenty of Rest to Stay Alert

There are restrictions on the hours of service for a reason

Be Mindful of Blind Spots Areas of the road that are

not visible in a vehicle's mirrors

Maintain Sufficient Distance Between Vehicles

Large trucks take more time to stop than smaller vehicles

Obey the Rules of the Road

Truckers are not excluded from following speed limits, seat belt laws, or any other safety rules of the road

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