Sangamon Sun

As the new school year begins in August, more than 2.2 million K-12 students return to schools across Illinois. Of these students, about 40% rely on school buses for transportation. The Illinois State Police report that the most hazardous part of a student’s bus journey is during pick-up and drop-off at bus stops, where most accidents occur.

Illinois enforces several laws aimed at ensuring the safety of students traveling by bus or waiting at bus stops. Drivers must be aware of specific signals from school buses: yellow flashing lights mean the bus is preparing to stop, requiring motorists to slow down and prepare to halt; red flashing lights and an extended stop arm signal that children are boarding or leaving the bus, so vehicles must stop until the signals are withdrawn and the bus moves again.

On two-lane roads, all traffic in both directions must stop when a school bus halts to load or unload students. Vehicles should remain at least 20 feet away from the stopped bus. On four-lane roads with traffic moving in opposite directions, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the bus are required to stop. Pupils are not required to cross four or more lanes of traffic. For one-way streets, all lanes must stop regardless of lane count.

A significant risk area around a stopped school bus is known as the “death zone,” where most injuries and fatalities occur due to motorists failing to obey stopping laws.

State law also requires buses to stop at all railroad crossings while displaying hazard warning lights. Drivers approaching from behind cannot pass over the center line if within 100 feet of a crossing and should allow enough space for emergency maneuvers.

Motorists may proceed after stopping for a school bus only when: “The bus resumes motion; The bus driver signals the motorist to proceed; Or, the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm signal is no longer extended.”

Penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus include: “First offense is a mandatory minimum fine of $300 and a 3-month suspension of driver’s license. Second offense or a subsequent conviction within five years is a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 and a one-year suspension of driver’s license.” Those cited for this violation are not eligible for court supervision.

For additional information on safety regulations, resources can be found through both Illinois State Police and Illinois Association of Pupil Transportation.

Keicher has served as state representative for Illinois’ 70th House District since his election in 2018, succeeding Robert W. Pritchard.