WHP: Cars Passing Stopped School Buses Remain Major Concern for Law Enforcement

Sheridan County motorists can help protect students by slowing down when school buses display flashing yellow lights and stopping when red lights flash and the stop arm extends.

National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 19–23, a reminder that keeping students safe takes all of us, both on the bus and on the road.  The week brings schools, families and communities together to promote safe travel for millions of students. The observance reminds drivers to help protect children during the most dangerous part of their trip: getting on and off the bus.

Wyoming Highway Patrol Lieutenant Louis Tegdesch appeared on Sheridan Media’s Pulse and spoke on school bus inspections and what drivers need to know when those red lights flash and the stop arm comes out.

The Sheridan School Districts have their school buses inspected by law enforcement once a year. Tegdesch said the staff at the bus barn work in tandem with WHP troopers, to find malfunctioning or faulty equipment on each bus and repair or replace it as needed. 

Lt. L. Tegdesch

According to Tegdesch, under Wyoming law, motorists approaching a stopped school bus from either direction must stop before reaching it when its red lights are flashing. Drivers must remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the red lights stop flashing. An exception does apply when the bus is on a separate roadway. The public is advised that four or more lane roads are considered one road. Tegdesch is urging all drivers on four or more lane roads to stop when the bus extends the stop arm, no matter the direction of travel. 

Lt. L. Tegdesch

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises motorists that yellow lights mean a bus is preparing to stop, not an invitation to hurry past the bus.

Multiple studies show children face increased risk while approaching or leaving buses, making driver attention essential along school bus routes throughout Sheridan County each morning and afternoon. According to the NHTSA, school buses remain the safest way for children to travel to and from school. However, there are dangers when children are boarding and leaving the bus. 

The NHTSA reports that over the last decade, nearly two thirds of school-age pedestrians who were fatally injured in school-transportation-related crashes were struck by school buses or other vehicles when getting on or off a school bus. 

Parents are encouraged to teach child to always play it S.A.F.E.:

• Stay five steps away from the curb.
• Always wait for the bus driver to tell you when to board.
• Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.
• Exit the bus when it stops, look left-right-left, and take five steps away from the bus toward the curb.

Learn more about National School Bus Safety Week and more safety tips by clicking here.