National School Bus Safety Week brings together school transportation professionals, students, families, educators, motorists, and communities nationwide to reinforce one shared priority: keeping students safe on and around the school bus.
School buses are one of the safest modes of transportation. However, injuries and fatalities do occur outside of or near the buses. This is often caused by a motorist who has failed to slow down and obey the bus’s stop sign, or to follow local traffic laws. Stopping is the law whether approaching from the front or rear of the school bus.
Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. This is when motorists should begin to slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
When a school bus’s red lights are flashing and the stop-arm is extended, drivers have a legal responsibility to slow down and come to a complete stop. This is not a suggestion — it’s the law.
Motorists may begin moving only when the red flashing lights are turned off, the stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins to move. School bus riders and their caretakers are relying on drivers to follow the law to keep them safe.
School bus safety doesn't stop when the week ends. Explore the information below for year-round school bus safety resources and tips .
