The Beaver Police Department and Frye Bus Company would like to take a moment and share with you some safety tips for this up coming school year. Please pay attention to all crosswalks and bus stops. Watch for children at all intersections throughout our communities.
As the school year begins, please plan your day accordingly and leave some extra time knowing that the buses will be making frequent stops.
School bus safety is a high priority in Pennsylvania. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, transportation personnel and the motoring public all play important roles in keeping our children safe while on or around the school bus.
Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law
- Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
- Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
- Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
- If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
- Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
Penalties under Pennsylvania Law - The penalties if convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law include:
- $250 fine
- Five points on your driving record
- 60-day license suspension
Tips for Parents/Students
- Get to the school bus stop five minutes early so you won’t have to run across the road to catch the bus.
- When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Lineup at least five giant steps away from the curb or the roadway to wait for the bus.
- Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.
- Never push when getting on or off of the school bus.
- Always walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing so that the school bus driver can see you.
- Be aware—cross with care! Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road.
- When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.
- Talk quietly; do not distract your school bus driver.
- If your school bus crosses railroad tracks, be calm and quiet so that your driver can listen for a train. Always obey your school bus driver’s instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions.
- Never play with the emergency exits. Backpacks, band instruments, or sports equipment may not block the aisle or emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
- When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don’t get caught on the handrail or the door.
- Never cross the street behind the school bus.
- If you leave something on the bus or drop something outside of the bus, never go back for it. The driver may not see you and begin moving the bus.
- Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger.
- After unloading all children at the school or after your last stop, make sure to do a post-trip of your bus and check to make sure that no child has been left on the bus.
- Pennsylvania law prohibits any items including students from barricading the aisles and the emergency exit.
- Be prepared to act appropriately in emergency and crash situations. Your actions could mean the difference between life and death.
- Be sure to provide adequate instruction so that every student is familiar with school bus emergency procedures and equipment use, as well as the safe loading and unloading procedures.
- Always follow the “FiveAlive” Operation Lifesaver steps when approaching a railroad track. For more information, please visit the Operation Lifesaver website, oli.org.
- If you see or hear an emergency vehicle, you should be aware that although the emergency vehicle is required to come to a complete stop when it encounters a school bus loading or unloading students, it is legal for it to proceed with caution even if the bus’s eight-way light system is still activated, as long as it doesn’t risk the safety of the students.
