With students returning to classrooms across the region, officials are reminding motorists, parents, students and school bus drivers of their shared responsibility to keep children safe during daily bus trips.
Under Pennsylvania law, drivers must stop at least 10 feet from a school bus when its red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended. The requirement applies to vehicles traveling behind or alongside the bus, meeting it from the opposite direction or approaching an intersection where the bus is stopped.
Motorists must remain stopped until the bus’s red lights stop flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn and children have reached a safe location. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction do not have to stop only when a physical barrier, such as a grassy median, guide rail or concrete median barrier, separates their lanes from the bus.
Failing to stop for a school bus can bring significant penalties. A criminal violation can result in a $250 fine, five points on a driver’s record, a 60-day license suspension and a $35 surcharge directed to the School Bus Safety Grant Program Account.
School districts also may use side stop-arm camera systems to enforce the law. A violation recorded through an authorized automated enforcement system carries a $300 civil fine but does not add points to a driver’s record or affect insurance ratings.
Parents can help reduce risks by making sure children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes early. Students should wait at least five large steps away from the roadway, avoid running to catch a bus and stay where the driver can see them.
Children crossing the street should walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus, wait until traffic has stopped and cross only after the driver signals that it is safe. Students should never cross behind a school bus or return to retrieve an item dropped near or beneath the vehicle.
School bus drivers also play a central role in the daily safety routine. Drivers are encouraged to complete pre-trip inspections before every run, ensure traffic has stopped before allowing children to exit and confirm students have reached a safe location before deactivating warning lights and moving the bus.
Drivers should conduct a post-trip inspection after unloading at school or completing the final stop to make sure no child remains on board. Aisles and emergency exits must remain clear, and students should receive instruction on emergency procedures, safe loading and unloading practices, and appropriate behavior near railroad crossings.
PennDOT advises students to remain seated while the bus is moving, keep voices low to avoid distracting the driver and secure backpacks, instruments and other belongings so they do not block aisles or emergency exits.
The annual reminder comes as morning and afternoon traffic increases near schools, bus stops and neighborhood intersections. Officials urge all road users to slow down, remain alert and follow school bus safety laws to help children arrive safely at school and home.
