School bus safety: What drivers need to know as kids head back to class

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2024 data shows 64% of child pedestrians killed in traffic crashes were hit on weekdays.

NHTSA estimates more than 43.5 million illegal school bus passings happened in the U.S. during the 2022–2023 school year.

Rules of the road

In Georgia, on two-lane roads, cars traveling in both directions must stop when a bus’s lights are flashing and the stop sign is extended. The same rule applies to multi-lane paved roads — all drivers must stop.

The exception is on highways separated in the center by a median. However, drivers following or traveling alongside a bus are still required to stop.

Students should also never walk behind a school bus.

Garrett Townsend with AAA said distracted driving remains a serious concern.

“The use of these [phones] while operating a motor vehicle — that is what is killing people,” Townsend said. “Every child should have a happy and safe school year.”

In Georgia, failure to stop for a school bus adds six points to a driver’s motor vehicle record. The Department of Driver Services can suspend a license if a driver accumulates up to 15 points within 24 months, including out-of-state violations.

DDS Commissioner Angelique B. McClendon wrote, “As students return to school, we want every driver to slow down and stay alert around school buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones. Please obey school signs, lights, and signals, but also watch carefully for children walking, crossing the street, or waiting for the bus. Their safety is our shared responsibility, and we want every child to get to and from school safely.”

Savannah-Chatham County Public School System Superintendent Dr. Denise Watts greeted each driver Monday morning before heading out on their route.

She said they’ve been preparing for the first day behind the scenes.

“We are transporting over 22 thousand students today so it’s extremely important that the first faces they see are the smiling faces of our drivers. And I wanted our drivers to see my smiling face on their first day with students,” she said.