Sheriff’s department issues warning to motorists

School is starting up and the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department is reminding motorists of school bus rules and regulations.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, riding a bus to school is 13 times safer than riding in a passenger vehicle and 10 times safer than walking to school.

According to the sheriff’s department, everyone should be aware that most of the children who are injured or killed are outside of the bus and struck by motorists passing a stopped school bus.

The Sheriffs Department will be concentrating patrol time on observing for any violations of the state law on passing a stopped school bus.

This violation is a criminal offense and drivers who violate the law could be subject to arrest. The goal of the department is for every child in the county to get to school and back home safely and they are asking for the help of every motorist on the road to make that happen.

The following are some safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

– It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.

– School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are preparing to stop to load or unload children.  Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signals to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus.

– Traffic must stop in all directions when children are entering or exiting a school bus.

– The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are most in danger of being hit.

-Be alert; children are unpredictable. Children walking to and from the bus are comfortable with their surroundings. This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing a street.

– Never pass a school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.