With children across the Commonwealth returning to the classroom, drivers will start to share the road with school buses again. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic are expected to increase, and road safety experts are advising people to stay aware.
Lori Weaver Hawkins is the Public Affairs Manager with AAA Blue Grass. She said during the summer months, drivers may forget some safety skills they use during the school year. Among those, she said, are rules to follow while sharing the road with those yellow buses.
“If that school bus has its stop arm out, that means stop. It doesn’t mean go slower and go around, that’s telling you to stop. That’s important for people to remember,” said Weaver Hawkins.
In Kentucky, there were over 1,000 traffic collisions directly involving a school bus last year. Drivers should be aware students exiting buses may have to walk around the front of the vehicle and across lanes of traffic to get to their drop-off spot.
Weaver Hawkins said she has a crucial piece of advice for driving during the school year.
“Slow down. Whether you’re in a school zone, as well as if you’re in a residential neighborhood where buses are stopping to pick up the children. Be ready to stop quickly if you need to and be aware that there’s going to be increased vehicle as well as pedestrian traffic,” said Weaver Hawkins.
In addition to buses, more parents will be driving their children to and from school. Weaver Hawkins said it is best to cooperate with education officials in drop-off lines to avoid dangerous collisions and double-parking.
She also said parents with new drivers should have conversations about road safety with their children and advise them to be aware of their surroundings at all times.
School starts Tuesday, August 13 in Rowan County.