According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), nearly 1.5 million children are transported on Pennsylvania roads each day, and driven approximately 400 million miles to school each year.
These children are needlessly put at risk by drivers who ignore two crucial provisions of Pennsylvania’s motor vehicle code. Each year approximately 1,000 drivers are convicted of passing a stopped school bus with signals flashing. Over the past five years, Pennsylvania issued 16,223 citations for speeding in a school zone.
Passing a School Bus
All 50 states have a law that makes it illegal to pass a school bus that is loading or unloading children.
Under Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law…
- Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended. (The most dangerous area around a school bus is the space 10 feet around the vehicle as this radius falls into the driver’s blind spot.)
- Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
- Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
Distracted Driving in School Zones
Aside from speeding motorists, children in a school zone are also at a high risk from distracted drivers. A report by Safe Kids USA found that as many as one in six motorists were distracted while they drove through a school zone.
The most common types of distractions while driving through a school zone were the use of cell phones and electronic devices. Other distracting behaviors include:
- snacking
- grooming and applying makeup
- smoking
- reading
- changing the music
- checking GPS or map
- talking to passengers in the car
- searching through a wallet or purse
- rubbernecking
- daydreaming
- using a complex car infotainment system
Pennsylvania prohibits all drivers from texting while behind the wheel, and generally requires that drivers not engage in dangerous behavior while behind the wheel. Failure to do so could result in penalties, and could subject the driver to civil liability if he or she causes a distracted driving-related accident.
Consequences of Disregarding School Bus/School Zone Laws
Violations can result in:
- fines/costs
- points on driver’s record
- suspensions
- potential civil liability
School Bus Stopping Law
The current punishment for failing to stop for a school bus when its red lights are flashing or a stop arm is extended includes a $250 fine, five points on the violators driving record, and a 60-day license suspension.
Speeding in School Zone
Drivers who exceed the speed limit in a school zone are assessed three points, and a fine of up to $500. A second violation could result in license revocation for a period of up to 60 days.
School Zone Safety Tips for Drivers
There are a number of ways which drivers can reduce the risk to students. The following are a few examples.
- Obey the traffic laws.
- Don’t block the crosswalk – this could force students into the path of moving traffic.
- Yield to pedestrians crossing the crosswalk or intersection.
- Obey crossing guard /school patrol officer.
- Allow a greater following distance when driving behind a school bus.
- Be alert — children are often unpredictable, and tend to take risks and ignore hazards.
- Don’t double park — it blocks visibility for children and other vehicles.
- Refrain from any activities that take attention away from safe driving.
- Watch out for student drivers.
- Adjust your route to avoid school zones if possible.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a driver violating a traffic law, call Comitz Law at 570-829-1111 or email info@comitzlaw.com. We can help.