School has been in session for more than a month, giving motorists time to adjust to the influx of school buses.  National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 16-22, is an opportunity for those on the road to not only notice school buses, but also pay extra attention to school bus safety.

While school buses are the safest way to get to school, one of the greatest hazards comes from motorists who do not observe the school bus stop law.   The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) is producing two new materials to remind motorists that school buses are like traffic signals.  An 11” x 17” poster and brochure will be available this fall for Michigan communities to post and distribute.

“To keep bus rides safe, motorists need to be cautious when children get on and off the bus,” said Michael L. Prince, OHSP division director. “School buses are like rolling traffic signals, and drivers need to know what the flashing lights mean.”

The new materials compare the lights on a school bus to traffic signals.  Motorists should always:

·         Prepare to stop when a slowing bus has its overhead yellow lights flashing.

·         Come to a complete stop at least 20 feet away from the bus when its overhead red lights are flashing.

·         Proceed with caution when the hazard warning lights, located near the headlights, are flashing.

Approximately 17,800 school vehicles in Michigan transport more than 850,000 children each school day and travel nearly 10 million miles a year, according to Michigan State Police’s Motor Carrier Division Bus Inspection Unit.  There were four fatalities and 361 injuries in school bus crashes reported in Michigan in 2004.

American students are nearly eight times safer riding in a school bus than with their own parents and guardians in cars, according to a 2002 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.