With Clarendon County School District students back in classrooms, district and state officials are reminding motorists and families that a safe trip to school depends on everyone following the rules.
The start of the school year brings increased morning and afternoon traffic, placing children at greater risk of injuries involving pedestrians, bicycles, school buses and other vehicles, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety.
State law requires drivers traveling behind a school bus to stop when its red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended. Drivers must remain stopped until the lights are turned off and the bus begins moving again.
The requirements for approaching traffic depend on the type of road.
On a two-lane road, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop when a school bus activates its red flashing lights. Drivers traveling in the same direction as the bus may not pass once its amber warning lights are activated.
A road with one lane traveling in each direction is considered a two-lane road even if a median separates the lanes, according to SCDPS.
On a road with four or more lanes, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop. Drivers approaching from the opposite direction may continue but should slow down, proceed cautiously and watch for children.
Bus routes along multilane roads are designed so students do not have to cross the roadway, according to the department.
Drivers are not required to stop when a school bus is in a designated passenger loading zone completely outside the main travel lanes and pedestrians are prohibited from crossing the road. Motorists should still remain alert and proceed cautiously.
Illegally passing a stopped school bus can result in a $1,062.50 fine and six points against a driver’s license, according to an SCDPS school bus safety graphic.
The department advises motorists to slow down whenever a school bus or children are present and to watch for students gathering near bus stops, walking in areas without sidewalks or running toward a bus. Drivers should also check carefully for children before backing out of driveways or garages.
CCSD has also asked families to review the district’s school bus rules with their children. The expectations are intended to provide a safe and respectful ride for students and bus drivers.
Students may not fight, call others names, use profanity, act disrespectfully, eat, stand while the bus is moving or move between seats. Horseplay, screaming, loud talking and placing feet in the aisles are also prohibited.
Students may not extend their arms or yell out of bus windows, take pictures or videos, use headphones or other audio devices, or possess tobacco or vaping products. The district also prohibits students from spraying perfume or cologne while aboard a bus.
Students should treat others as they want to be treated and may not cross a road after leaving the bus unless the driver signals that it is safe.
Cellphones may be used while students are riding the bus, but phone calls are prohibited and audio must remain at a low volume to avoid distracting the driver or other students. Once students arrive on campus, phones must be turned off and placed in the school’s cellphone storage box until the end of the school day.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to supervise young children as they walk, ride bicycles or wait at bus stops. Students walking to school should use crosswalks when available, follow traffic signals and look left, right and left again before crossing.
After a school bus turns off its flashing lights and retracts its stop arm, motorists should proceed slowly and continue watching for children who may still be near the road.
