Back to School: 8 Ways Drivers Can Protect Students

Summer break passed in the blink of an eye, and students in many states have already returned to school or will very soon. This means it’s time for all drivers to head back to “class” for a refresher on school zone safety. Over summer break, you may have gotten used to not seeing yellow school buses on the roadways and having to stop for them to load and unload, but they are back. As responsible drivers, we should do our due diligence to protect our nation’s future leaders as they go to and from school. For this blog, we're sharing eight ways drivers of all kinds can help keep students safe. 

Don't Pass Go... or the Stop-Arm

Since 1939, yellow school buses have been making the rounds, taking children to and from school. Over the years, stop-arm violation laws have been put in place in all 50 states to prevent drivers from illegally passing stopped school buses. If a school bus’s lights are flashing and the STOP arm is extended, all vehicles traveling in both directions must stop. The only exception to this is if you are traveling on a divided highway. However, laws on this may differ by state. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that despite the number of crashes caused by stop-arm violations being relatively low, the risk of a child being harmed or losing their life in a crash of this type is high. What’s even more concerning are the findings from a survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDTPS) that show that the number of drivers illegally passing school busses is rising. Each year, a large number of states participate in a one-day study to see how many drivers break the stop-arm law. The group uses those numbers to estimate the number of illegal passings over the course of the 180-day school year. During the 2021-2022 school year, the NASDTPS estimates that 41.8 million drivers violated the stop-arm law. That estimate increased to 43.5 million violations during the 2022-2023 school year. 

How You Can Help

Now that we’ve addressed the data, let’s talk about ways you as a driver can help keep kids safe.

1. When traveling through a school zone or near a bus stop, always assume that a child may run in front of your vehicle at any moment. Kids don’t always look before crossing the street. Even kids who check both ways may struggle to know how much time they have to cross before an approaching vehicle reaches them.
2. Follow school zone speed limits. In Tennessee, the speed limit in school zones ranges between 15-25 miles per hour. 
3. Use your headlights. The school bell often rings before the sun rises. Students may not be wearing reflective clothing that is easy to see.
4. Go completely cell phone-free when traveling through a school zone. Even using a hands-free device can take your focus off the road. 
5. Use extra caution if you drive the same route every day. Research shows that your risk of being in a crash increases the closer you are to home. 
6. Honking is a no-go when driving near school zones or school bus stops. Not only can honking cause confusion, but it can scare kids.
7. When driving behind a school bus, leave a large amount of space between your vehicle and the bus. Truck drivers should leave more room between themselves and a school bus than the average driver to give themselves plenty of time to stop. School buses typically turn on their warning lights 100 feet before stopping. 
8. Patience is key. Give yourself extra time to make it to your destination when driving during the early morning or mid-afternoon hours when school buses are on the roads. 

One Last Word

You may have noticed that this blog is a bit different than normal. We typically focus on topics relating solely to commercial vehicles. However, school zone safety is something that all of us need to take seriously. Whether you drive a small sedan or an 18-wheeler, we ask that you do your part to protect our kids as they go to and from school. Together, we can make sure everyone gets home safely.