Yellow school buses are once again transporting excited youngsters to and from school across southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia.
Motorists, who may have grown accustomed during the summer months to not having to stop for school buses, are now reminded to exercise caution during the morning and evening commute. School is now back in session and all drivers must slow down, and watch out for students.
Thousands of youngsters across the region will now be up bright and early each morning waiting to catch the school bus. All motorists, and in particular those who may be in a little bit of a rush while making the early morning commute to work, are reminded to slow down and watch out for children waiting to catch the bus.
And all motorists are reminded to come to a complete stop for a school bus stopped with flashing lights that is loading or unloading children.
As summer begins to wane, and fall slowly approaches, the days will be getting shorter.
As a result, motorists should pay close attention both in the mornings and evenings to signs indicating there is a school bus stop ahead.
School buses turn on flashing lights and deploy a stop sign when they halt to let students board or get off. By law, drivers must stop until the bus driver turns off the lights and pulls the stop sign back. Motorists are required to remain stopped until the sign comes down.
Unfortunately, some motorists make the mistake of thinking that they can continue driving once all the children are on or off the bus. Such action is not only illegal, it is highly dangerous.
In some instances, a child could be lagging behind, and run up to the bus at the last moment. That’s why all motorists must obey the law, and must remain stopped until the stop sign comes down. In no instance should a motorist attempt to pass a school bus.
Such careless action is not only illegal, but it could also lead to tragedy if a child is struck by a motorist trying to illegally pass a stopped school bus.
Caution is the name of the game when school is in session. Slow down. Stop if you see a school bus with flashing lights. Don’t attempt to pass or navigate around a school bus with flashing lights.
By slowing down, and abiding by the law, we can assure that all youngsters in our region are safely transported to and from school each morning.
By driving carefully and watching out for children who are getting on or off a school bus, we can all help get the 2010-2011 school year off to a safe and great start.
Editorials
August 25, 2010
Drive carefully: Safety key to preventing tragedies
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