Outside of the summer months they are parked, safety around school buses should always be top of mind.  

Back on Tuesday afternoon the Chinook School Division shared a post to their social media regarding the topic. They did their best to remind people of the correct steps to take when ending up behind, or in the same vicinity as a school bus. 

"School bus drivers have a difficult job." the post began. "There are plenty of distractions inside the bus. Knowing this, you should make extra allowances, and be aware of the possibility that the bus driver may not see you or your signals. Rear-end collisions are the most frequent type of crash involving school buses and are usually caused by another driver failing to stop while the bus is loading or unloading passengers."

Adding to their point, they shared the three main things people need to know on the topic courtesy of SGI.

  1. If you are approaching a school bus (from either direction), once the red flashing lights are activated you must stop and may not pass. The single greatest threat to the safety of children who ride school buses is motorists who pass the bus when children are loading or unloading.
  2. When approaching a bus that has its stop arm out and its flashing lights activated, as a driver: You must stop no closer than 5 m (15 ft) from the front or back of the bus; you must not advance your vehicle until the bus driver turns off the flashing red stop lamps and deactivates the stop arm; before moving, check to see that all children have safely crossed the roadway
  3. Passing a school bus with flashing lights is a serious offence and can result in a significant fine. The fine for driving through a stop arm is $360 and you will receive demerit points on your license!

"When a driver fails to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, the potential for a catastrophic incident is significant and it is dangerous, illegal, and can have deadly consequences." the school division added.

While the onus is mostly on drivers to keep school bus safety top of mind, kids exiting the bus doors can do their part as well. Parents should remind their kids to always be extra careful when exiting the bus, always listen to the driver’s directions, and that it's important to stay aware when crossing the road, keeping your eyes open for traffic heading in either direction.

Leader operates the only west-central Saskatchewan area school within the Chinook School Division, who operates a majority of their schools around southwest Saskatchewan, including Swift Current.