| | Published September 17, 2008
| School Bus Safety - Motorists Must Look Around, Slow Down & Stop
| | By Jean Follmer |  | |
When school starts, the school buses are back on the roads. This often results in a slower commute
and the frustrating realization that an earlier departure may be necessary to "beat the bus" in order
to arrive at destinations on time. If you do happen to "beat the bus" on weekday mornings, the
Lamorinda School Bus Program (LSBP) still urges you to use caution on the roads. "Even when the
bus isn't there (at the stop), we have kids along the road waiting for buses and drivers need to be
careful. In the morning, kids are crossing the street unassisted, so that's a vulnerable point. We try to
encourage the kids to arrive (at the bus stop) 5 minutes early," said LSBP Program Manager Juliet
Hansen. However, many kids are running to catch the bus and are crossing streets without looking in
the process. In the afternoon, drivers physically get out of their buses to help children cross the street.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, pedestrian accidents account for two-thirds of
school bus-related fatalities.
If you do get caught behind the bus, it's important to remain calm and accept the fact that your
drive will likely take a bit longer. In each Lamorinda community, there have been cases of drivers
cutting off buses and passing stopped buses that have their flashing red lights on. Gary Hein, Lead
Driver for Durham School Services said the worst red light runner streets are:
Lafayette Reliez Valley Road from Grayson to Pleasant Hill and
Pleasant Hill Road from Highway 24 to Olympic Boulevard
Moraga Moraga Road from Rheem Boulevard to St. Mary's Road and
Rheem Boulevard between Moraga Road and Glorietta
Boulevard
Orinda Anywhere on Miner Road and
Anywhere on Overhill Road
As a bus prepares to make a stop, its yellow lights will start flashing. When the bus is stopped, its red
warning lights will flash and the stop signal arm on the side of the bus will be out. The U.S.
Department of Transportation says "Motorists must come to a complete stop a safe distance from
the bus and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the arm is retracted, and the bus begins moving
before they start driving again." "The law is very clear that all vehicles must stop in both directions
when a school bus has its red lights on. The only exception is when there is a physical median or
divider separating the opposing traffic," said Hein.
Hein said the Lamorinda Police Departments have helped reduce the red light runner problem by
following buses and ticketing offenders. Lafayette Police Officer Chilimidos said, "I'm one of the
officers that follow the school buses. Most people seem to be compliant, but there are always a few
that aren't. I've had to give some citations. If you see a school bus, generally speaking, there is a
police car around."
"Every day with our 22 buses, there is somebody who (illegally) passes a bus," said Hansen. She
also said there are a few locations, like Reliez Valley Road, where drivers are not only passing
stopped buses with flashing red lights, but they are crossing a double yellow line to do it. When a bus
is passed illegally, the driver calls the violation in and attempts to get a license plate number, but
they're not always able to that since their first responsibility is to the safety of the children on the
bus. "Ultimately it's up to all of us that drive our roads to obey the law. These are our children we're
putting at risk," said Hein.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA