School Buses Hitting the Roads Tuesday

From a Prince William County Schools Press Release:

On Tuesday, September 6, 800 Prince William County school buses will roll, some as early as 6 a.m., to pick up children and take them to the county’s 92 schools. About 61,000 of an estimated 81,000 students will be transported by bus. School Division staff work hard to ensure the safety of students on buses, but their safety also depends largely on the willingness of motorists to follow laws concerning school buses.

By law, motorists must stop when a school bus is stopped with its red lights blinking and stop sign extended, except when the bus is on the opposite side of a median strip. Motorists must also stop if the bus is loading or unloading children and the signal devices are not functioning properly. Passing a stopped school bus is considered reckless driving which is a misdemeanor in Virginia. Violators face the possibilities of fines of up to $2,500 and jail time, as well as the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles assessing six demerit points on their driving record for up to 11 years.

“School buses are the safest form of ground transportation on this planet, and we want to keep it that way,” said Edward Bishop, director of Transportation Services for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS).

Across the nation, most fatalities and major injuries associated with student transportation occur when students are struck by motorists who are attempting to pass school buses while students are getting on or off the bus. Bishop says these traffic violations usually occur either unintentionally, because motorists do not understand traffic laws regarding school buses, or because they become impatient and intentionally run the stop lights.

“I encourage all motorists to review and obey the laws concerning school bus safety. To those thousands of citizens who know and obey these laws, I ask for your continued support in the coming school year,” Bishop said.

Motorists should be particularly alert during the early morning and mid-afternoon hours when school buses are on the road. PWCS high schools open at approximately 7:20 a.m. and close at approximately 2 p.m. The hours for middle schools are approximately 8:10 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. and elementary schools open between 8:30 and 9:15 a.m. and close between 3:00 and 3:40 p.m. Opening and closing times vary by school to better utilize the School Division’s school buses and drivers.