[VIDEO] WRGA School Bus Safety Community Spotlight

January 6th, 2020 – 2:40 PM

Ethan Garrett – Digital News Editor/Video Reporter (WRGA News)

Because Students returning to School soon now that the holidays are over WRGA reminds all drivers on the road to be on the lookout for school buses.

Rome City schools recently acquired new school buses for students (the school system has purchased 35 new buses, bringing its total fleet to 55), and the school system will begin operating its own district-wide transportation system on January 7.

That being said, drivers can make school bus transportation safer for everyone by following these practices:

When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state, as well as the “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:
- Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
- Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

Also please remember that passing a school bus with flashing red lights isn’t just illegal, it’s dangerous and can be deadly.

Keeping these things in mind with ensuring a safe commute for you and also the students utilizing the school buses.