MSHP highlights school bus safety as school year nears
Marie Moyer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to be ready for traffic changes as an increased number of school buses, student drivers, and cyclists are expected to join them on the road when school starts this August.
According to the MSHP, there were 843 crashes involving school buses last year. They add that most traffic crashes involving young drivers under 21 occur during school dismissal times between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the most dangerous part of the bus ride is during loading and unloading, called the “danger zone,” with children often crossing in front of and behind the bus or running near traffic.
Drivers are reminded to slow down around school zones and playgrounds and to stop when they see a school bus with red lights and a stop-arm out. It is illegal in all states to pass a school bus when it is stopped with the stop-arm out. Driving past can result in a fine of at least $250 and a suspended license.
Based on a survey of bus drivers in 2023, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimated there were more than 43.5 million illegal school bus passings in the United States during the 2022-2023 school year.
Parents are encouraged to be at bus stops during pick-up and drop-off times and to remind their kids to drive responsibly and wear proper safety gear when biking to school. Cyclists are reminded to ride as near to the right side of the roadway and use the proper hand signals.