With school back in session in Danville, drivers in the area will likely see children either getting on or off school buses.
This time of year marks a good opportunity to remind motorists that they need to drive safely around school buses.
Buses are designed to be safe for children. Still, drivers should use some extra caution when sharing the road with them. School bus accidents do happen, and when they do, the lives of vulnerable children and their families too often are affected by serious injuries.
However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, children are most prone to injuries as they wait for their bus or as they are boarding or disembarking from the school bus.
Parents should teach their children to be careful while getting on or off the school bus as well as when they are walking to or from their homes.
Ultimately, though, other drivers need to watch out for children:
- They should not try to whip around a school bus once its yellow lights are on.
- Virginia law prohibits drivers from passing a stopped school bus. Breaking this law is a criminal offense in Virginia.
- There are some exceptions to this law, notably that when a school bus stops on a divided highway separated by a median, traffic traveling opposite the school bus does not have to stop. Other states may require all traffic to stop.
- Bus drivers do make mistakes. A motorist should be on the alert even if a school bus does not have its lights on or stop arm out, especially if the bus is stopped or slowing down.
- On a similar note, during the morning or afternoon hours, or when drivers see school buses on the road, they should pay close attention for children. Children are not always aware of their surroundings.
Drivers who injure children in school bus accidents can be held accountable
In addition to criminal penalties, motorists who fail to stop for a school bus and injure children as a result may owe compensation for the children’s injuries. They may also owe compensation directly to the children’s parents for their loss.
Drivers who cause pedestrian accidents involving children or who collide with a school bus may also be legally required to pay compensation.