BACK TO SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDER!

September is almost here and with it comes the return of children attending school.  

The American Safety Council has important reminders for your children so that they can safely use the bussing system to attend school.

For students, safety starts at the bus stop. Here are important bus stop safety tips for kids:

1.   Try to get to the bus stop at least five minutes early. This will prevent you needing to rush across streets to catch the bus.
2. As always, be sure to look both ways before crossing the street and only cross at crosswalks when walking to the bus stop.
3. While waiting for the bus, be sure to stand or sit far back from the road.
4. Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop and for the bus driver to tell you it is ok before getting on or off the bus.
5.  If you drop something near the bus, do not attempt to retrieve it yourself. Instead, alert the bus driver so he or she may help you. 
6.  If you walk home from the bus stop, do not accept rides from or even speak to any strangers. Even if it seems like the stranger needs help, inform them you are not allowed to talk to strangers, get home, and call your parent immediately.

The entire post can be found here: https://blog.americansafetycouncil.com/essential-tips-for-back-to-school-safety/

Along with letting students know how to best navigate the bus ride to and from school, adults need to remember the important rules of the road relating to school buses.  

Buses in Washington should put on their yellow blinking lights in an effort to let drivers know that they will next be putting on their red blinking lights and often a red stop sign will fold out along the side of the bus as an extra reminder that no passing is allowed when the red lights are flashing.   While the yellow lights do not require a motorist to stop for the bus, the red lights do mean just that, and really are just designed to operate like a traffic light so that other drivers know that the red lights and required stop is imminent.     

Unless you are on a roadway that is divided into a separate roadway for the two directions of opposing traffic, or if the roadway has three or more marked traffic lanes and traveling in the opposite direction, then you must stop for the school bus and wait until the school bus driver turns the red blinking lights off.  Traffic violations for speeding in a school zone or passing a school bus with red lights flashing are particularly expensive because they are particularly dangerous.