2005-34
NEWS RELEASE:   July 22, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   LT John Eichkorn 785-296-6800
Megan Ingmire 785-296-6800

Troopers Inspect School Vehicles

With the start of the school year right around the corner, Kansas Highway Patrol troopers have begun to inspect school vehicles across the state to make sure they will load, transport, and unload students safely along our roadways. The annual inspections ensure buses and other vehicles comply with safety regulations.

Troopers will visit each school district and inspect over 8,000 school vehicles’ mechanical conditions and equipment. Buses that pass inspection will display yellow stickers of approval in the corner of their windshields. Buses that do not comply with safety regulations cannot be used to transport students until all defects are corrected and a trooper rechecks the vehicle. Last year, Patrol personnel inspected 8,091 school vehicles.

Patrol Superintendent Colonel William Seck said, “The Kansas Highway Patrol’s annual inspection process marks the quickly approaching school year. It is important for all of us as drivers to be aware that children will soon be walking to bus stops and to and from school. While driving, it is up to each of us to help ensure the safety of these children.”

Although school buses are one of the safest means of highway transportation, getting on and off a bus can be dangerous. The Patrol offers the following safety tips for parents, children, and motorists before the school year starts:

CHILDREN SHOULD

• Not hurry to get on or off the bus. They should arrive at the bus stop early and wait at least five feet away from the road. Instead of running once off the bus, children need to stop at the bus’s edge and look both ways twice for cars before crossing the street.
• Think before stepping. Before a child tries to board a bus, the bus should be stopped, its door fully opened, and the driver should motion the child forward. Kids must learn the importance of watching for cars before getting off the bus or crossing the street because drivers may not see them.
• Only go where the bus driver will see them. Tell children to walk in front of the bus, never behind it or along its sides. If they drop something, they need to tell the driver and wait to make sure the driver understands before trying to pick it up; the bus driver is less likely to see a child bending down. In addition, a child is less likely to drop something in traffic if he or she carries the school supplies in a backpack.
• Try not to let clothes, shoelaces, book bags, or other items get caught on the handrail or door of the bus.
• Obey the driver on the bus while sitting face forward in the seat, using an inside-voice, and not sticking anything out the windows.

DRIVERS SHOULD

• Know it is illegal to pass a school bus stopped to load or unload students. In Kansas, the fine for this potentially deadly violation is $300 plus court costs.
• Learn that yellow flashing lights mean the bus will soon stop to load or unload children. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms mean the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off, so motorists MUST stop their cars. Before pulling forward, motorists should wait until the bus’s stop arm is withdrawn, the red flashing lights are off, and the bus begins to move.

Remember that children may not be thinking about safety. Slow down and watch for children walking in the street or on sidewalks or playing or gathering near bus stops. Be on the alert for children who might dart into traffic. Also, watch for children walking and on bikes when backing out of a driveway.