Students who ride school buses are most at risk in the “danger zone” – outside the bus.
Swain County Sheriff Brian Kirkland said drivers need to slow down and remain cognizant of the county’s many rural, curvy roads.
“Sight distance is not great,” said Kirkland. “Drivers need to watch their speeds and surroundings, especially before and after school hours.”
Another area of concern is downtown Bryson City.
“Not only do drivers need to watch for pedestrians but also buses,” Kirkland said. “Buses make several stops on Everett Street. Drivers need to be aware of children crossing the road at Veterans Boulevard and Main Street, where we have a lot of kids walk into town from the middle school. We also want to warn people about the traffic backup from West Elementary and East Elementary on US-19 and Highway 74. Traffic tends to back up into the roadways in these two areas.”
A National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Survey found that approximately 2,687 drivers illegally passed stopped school buses on North Carolina roads in a one-day period last year. Most illegal passing violations were by on-coming drivers.
Swain County Schools Superintendent Mark Sale said stop-arm cameras are installed on 80% of all county school buses to ensure safety and accountability, adding that the district only uses buses without cameras when its main buses undergo maintenance.
According to information gathered by North Carolina Department of Public Safety, passing a stopped school bus is a Class 1 misdemeanor. If convicted, five driving points will be assessed to the driver’s driver license with fines amounting to $500. Passing a stopped school bus and striking an individual is a Class I felony. A Class H felony will be assessed if that violation results in death.
Yellow flashing lights indicate a school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload riders/students. At this point, drivers should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop-arms indicate the bus has stopped and riders are either getting on or off. Drivers are required by law to stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing and the extended stop-arm is withdrawn. It is only OK to move after the bus moves.
For more safety tips, visit NCDOT.gov and search “school bus safety.”
For further information concerning school bus safety and illegal passing visit the Department of Public Instruction’s school bus safety website at ncbussafety.org.