The new school year is here! As we gin a new school year, it is a perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the rules when it comes to school buses as they rt our most precious commodity, our children. Especially during the first few weeks of school, as kids navigate new routes to school and become familiar with new surroundings, please remain extra vigilant for school buses and crosswalks! It should go without saying however, please know that the inconvenience of an extra few seconds spent waiting for a stopped school bus is insignificant compared to the loss of a child’s life.
Florida Motor Vehicle Laws require that motorists stop upon approaching any school bus which displays its flashing red lights and has its stop signs extended. The penalty for failure to stop for a school bus is $265, and the penalty for passing a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal is $465. Additionally, you will accrue four points on your driver’s license and be required to complete a basic Driver Improvement Course upon conviction.
School Bus Safety Tips for Parents and Children
• Arrive at the bus stop with about five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• At bus stops, children should wait in a safe place away from the road. Never sit on the roadway
or curb while waiting for your bus.
• Make sure your children know their bus driver’s name and bus number.
• Tell children to never speak to strangers at the bus stop or get into the car with a stranger.
Children should tell parents, the bus driver and a teacher at school if a stranger tries to talk
to them or pick them up.
• Children should never walk behind a bus and should stay away from bus wheels at all times.
When the bus stops, children should wait for the driver’s signal that it is safe to cross the road
or board the bus.
• Children should look both ways before crossing the street- look left, right and left again. Tell
them to make eye contact to make sure the bus driver can see them as they cross the street.
• On the bus, children should remain seated at all times and keep the aisle clear. Tell children
not to put their head, hands or arms out the window.
• Remind children to stop talking and remain silent when the bus comes to a railroad crossing
so the driver can hear if a train is approaching.
• Children should avoid any loud or disruptive behavior that could distract the bus driver from
safely operating the bus.
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