NEW JERSEY – As summer draws to a close and the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public that school districts are opening and has provided several safe driving tips for residents.
“Folks, let’s be cognizant that our kids are heading back to school and let’s all pitch in to keep them safe! As we leave the pandemic behind, some students may just now be returning to in-person learning and may rely on school buses to get them to and from school safely. We should talk to our kids about how they can help to be safe. Some adults may also be returning to work after working from home and our driving skills may be a bit rusty so, let’s all be extra careful!,” Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said.
Sheriff Gannon offers these tips:
Driving Safety:
- Obey school zone speed limits.
- Never pass a bus loading or unloading children.
- The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus.
- Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign.
- Head up, phone down while driving.
- Allow extra driving time for buses and parental school traffic.
School Bus Safety
- Stop for school buses.
- Did You Know: School buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road; they’re designed to be safer than passenger vehicles in preventing crashes and injuries; and in every state, stop-arm laws exist to protect children from other motorists.
For our adult citizens, if you are driving, remember these simple rules:
- Yellow flashing lights on a school bus mean slow down — don’t speed up — because the bus is preparing to stop. There are likely students waiting to get on the bus or parents waiting nearby to pick up children.
- Red flashing lights mean stop — and wait at least 20 feet behind the bus — because children are getting on or off the school bus. Stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving.
- Even when lights aren’t flashing, watch for children, particularly in the morning or midafternoon, around school arrival and dismissal times. Be alert as you back out of a driveway, or drive through a neighborhood, school zone or bus stop.
For kids, parents – talk bus safety with your children:
Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
Teach them to play it safe:
- Stay five steps away from the curb.
- Always wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board.
- Face forward after finding a seat on the bus.
- Exit the bus after it stops and look left-right-left for cars before crossing a street.
