State Troopers Focus on Enforcement & Education in the School Zone
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Highway Patrol will assist local law enforcement efforts with a “Back to School” enforcement and education campaign of their own, focusing on traffic safety in and around the school zones. State Troopers will target traffic violators, specifically those who speed in school zones and pass stopped school buses, as well as raise awareness on school safety in Tennessee.
“The ultimate goal of the Tennessee Highway Patrol is to protect children from motorists who disregard the law, especially around the school zones,” said Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons. “However, we must educate motorists, parents and children on the importance of safe pedestrian movement and accident prevention in order to ensure traffic safety. We all have a responsibility to make sure children travel to and from school safely.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2000 to 2009, 1,386 people died in school transportation-related crashes – an average of 139 fatalities per year. One hundred and thirty (130) school-age pedestrians (younger than 19) have died in school transportation-related crashes during that same time period, and 56 (43 percent) school-age pedestrians killed in school transportation-related crashes were between five and seven years old. NHTSA states more school-age pedestrians are killed between the hours of 3:00pm and 4:00pm than any other time of day.
“We are urging motorists to exercise caution, be alert and to slow down in school zones and around school buses,” said THP Colonel Tracy Trott. “Our state troopers will not hesitate to hand out citations, but that is not our objective. This enforcement campaign was designed to encourage everyone to practice safe driving and pedestrian habits.”
Drivers who are found distracted, impatient and careless can expect to face stiff penalties. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour in school zones and the fine for speeding in a school zone is up to $500.00. It is also against the law to pass a school bus when it is stopped and loading or unloading passengers. The driver can be fined no less than $250.00 and up to $1,000.
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In 2010, State Troopers issued 3,186 citations in school zones. That’s down from 5,445 citations issued in 2009. Of the 2010 citations, 739 were speeding violations, while two citations were handed out for passing a stopped school bus. Since 2006, there has been a 21.0 percent decrease in the number of crashes occurring in school zones between the hours of 6:00am and 9:00am and the hours of 2:00pm to 5:00pm. There was also a 20.3 percent decline in the number of school bus-related crashes between those same hours.
As part of the “Back to School” enforcement, the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Special Programs unit recorded public service announcements at local radio stations across the state.
Each day, 26 million children in the United States ride school buses, including 600,000 in Tennessee, according to NHTSA. NHTSA reports approximately 21 students were killed while they were entering or exiting a bus in the U.S. last year. Close to 800 children are killed annually and many more injured going to and from school in a vehicle other than a school bus, according to the NSC.
Pupil Transportation Safety Fact Sheet
The Facts
- An average of six school-age passengers are fatally injured inside school buses each year, but an average of 16 are killed getting on and off the bus.
- More than half of the children killed in school bus-related crashes are ages five to seven years old. “Inattention” and “failure to yield” were factors most often reported by police in those crashes.
- The Tennessee Department of Safety’s Pupil Transportation division of the Highway Patrol inspects school buses from school districts across Tennessee annually. During the 2010-11 school year, 9,976 buses were inspected with 1,024 being placed out of service.
- All school bus drivers in Tennessee must attend an annual training course in order to receive and maintain the school bus endorsement on their Driver Licenses. During the 2010-11 academic year, more than 12,000 received training.
- In 2010, State Troopers issued 3,186 citations in school zones across the state. Of those citations, 739 were issued to drivers who were speeding, while two drivers were cited for passing a stopped school bus.
- An estimated 440,000 to 480,000 public school buses navigate roads and highways in the United States each year, traveling approximately 4.4 billion miles.
- School buses are nearly nine times safer than passenger vehicles. But children must take care when boarding or leaving buses.
- Young children are most likely to be injured around school buses because they:
- Hurry to get on or off the bus
- Act before they think
- Have little experience with traffic
- Assume motorists will see them and will wait for them to cross
- Don’t always stay within the bus driver’s line of sight
- Drop something as they are getting off the bus and run into the path of the bus to pick it up.
Safety Tips
For Children–Getting On And Off The Bus Safely:
- Always remain in direct eyesight of the bus driver;
- Get to the bus stop in plenty of time;
- Take 10 giant steps back from the curb while waiting for the bus and 10 steps when exiting the bus;
- Never try to get anything left on the bus after exiting;
- Never reach underneath the bus;
- Always follow the driver’s directions for how to cross the street;
- Be alert to traffic and look both ways;
- Always cross in front of the bus, but only when the bus driver signals it is safe to do so.
- Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
- Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
- Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
- When exiting, look before stepping off the bus to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder (side of the road). Move away from the bus.
- Before crossing the street, take 10 “giant steps” out from the front of the bus, or until the driver’s face can be seen. Wait for the driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
- Look left-right-left when coming to the edge of the bus to make sure traffic is stopped. Keep watching traffic when crossing.
- Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses. However, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!
For Parents
- Supervise children to make sure they get to the stop on time, wait far away from the road and avoid rough play.
- Teach your child to ask the driver for help if he/she drops something near the bus. If a child bends down to pick up something, the driver cannot see him/her and the child may be hit by the bus. Have your child use a backpack or book bag to keep loose items together.
- Make sure clothing and backpacks have no loose drawstrings or long straps that could get caught in the handrail or bus door.
- Encourage safe school bus loading and unloading.
- If you think a bus stop is in a dangerous place, talk with your school office or transportation director about changing the location.
For Drivers
- Yellow flashing lights on the bus indicate that it is preparing to stop and load or unload children. This means cars need to slow down and prepare to stop.
- It is illegal to pass a school bus with its red flashing lights and stop signal arm activated. Vehicles may not pass until the flashing red lights and signals are turned off or when the bus driver motions them through.
- Vehicles traveling in the same direction as the bus are always required to stop.
- Vehicles moving in the opposite direction as the bus are also required to stop unless they are on a divided highway.
- Never pass on the right side of the bus where children are entering and exiting. This is illegal and can have tragic results!
When Riding In A Car
- You might have heard before that most traffic crashes occur close to home…they do.
- Safety belts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash. They can lower the risk of injury by 45%.
- You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.
- Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and little kids in child safety seats.
When Riding A Bike
- Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard — never cross the street against a light, even if you don’t see any traffic coming.
- Walk your bike through intersections.
- Walk with a buddy.
- Wear reflective material…it makes you more visible to street traffic.
About the Tennessee Department of Safety
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.
