Watch for those yellow buses as new school year begins!

Watch for those yellow buses as new school year begins!

School buses carry more than half of America’s schoolchildren — each day, making the school bus industry the largest form of mass transit in the United States. It is imperative that we drive safely when approaching a school bus.

Every day, almost 6,000 Arkansas school buses transport 260,000 students across 250,000 miles of roadways, usually without incident.

A 20-mile round-trip school commute saves an approximate $420 annually for each student who rides the bus. Students are about 50 times more likely to arrive at school alive if they take the bus than if they drive themselves or ride with friends—more than 20 times safer than if they ride with a parent or other adult.

However, the students on our buses are safer when drivers who share the roadway with the buses are paying attention.

To encourage school bus safety, the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Association of Pupil Transportation and Arkansas PTA are partnering to launch the” Flashing Red- Kids Ahead” school bus safety campaign. The three-week campaign, in its fourth year, is from August 8 to August 26; however, school bus safety is important year-round.

When the yellow lights are flashing, the bus will stop within 300 feet. When approaching the bus from the opposite direction, slow your vehicle to 20 mph or less. Be prepared to stop from any direction. Under all circumstances, LOOK OUT FOR KIDS!

Flashing Red Lights and Stop Sign Out means kids are getting on or off the bus.

Stop your vehicle at least 15 feet from the bus.

Remain stopped until the flashing red lights end and the stop arm goes in.

After Bryant elementary student Isaac Brian was killed in 2004, the Legislature passed Isaac’s Law the next year. Any motorist who illegally passes a school bus – even if nothing happens and everyone is OK – is guilty of a misdemeanor. If convicted, you can go to jail for 90 days, lose your driver’s license for a year, be assigned up to 400 hours of community service, and pay a fine of up to $1,000.

Drivers who kill a student could be found guilty of negligent homicide, a class C felony.

The General Assembly is also finding ways to make the ride safer inside the bus.

Back in 2011, we passed legislation allowing school districts to provide you with parental monitors to help protect children from abusive behavior so you can focus on the road.

This year, we passed legislation to strengthen the background checks for those monitors and others employed by schools.

You can find more safety tips for your kids on our website at www.arkansashouse.org.

From State Representative Deborah Ferguson