School Bus Safety in Washington
Posted Saturday, October 21, 2017 by Chris Thayer
The school year is well underway, and all Washington drivers should approach school zones with caution. They should take particular care when sharing the roads with school buses, which frequently stop to load and unload children. Bus drivers, too, must take certain precautions in transporting children to and from school.
Washington law imposes several requirements on motorists and school bus drivers in order to keep children safe. Here is what you need to know if you come across a school bus or if you are a school bus driver:
- Motorists traveling in the same direction as a school bus must stop when the bus is stopped with its stop sign extended and red lights flashing.
- Motorists traveling in the opposite direction must stop on two-lane roads when the bus is stopped with its stop sign extended and red lights flashing.
- Motorists traveling in the opposite direction need not stop if there are three or more marked traffic lanes (including turn lanes) for stopped school buses.
- School bus drivers must activate the requisite visual signals when it stops to load or unload children.
School buses do not stop without notice. If you see flashing yellow lights on the front and back of the vehicle it means the bus is about to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and be prepared to stop when the bus driver extends the stop sign and turns on the flashing red lights. Unfortunately, school bus drivers report that far too many drivers pass them illegally.
School Bus Riders Injured
In April of 2017, a school bus driver failed to yield while making a turn on Highway 395. The Colville bus collided with a semi truck driver, injuring the bus driver and two students.
In June 2016, two Renton school buses collided near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and SW Sunset Boulevard. 20 elementary-age children and one bus driver sustained injuries in the crash.
In April of 2016, a man lost control of his pickup truck and crashed into six middle school boys waiting to catch their school bus in Maple Valley. The 19-year-old driver, whose license was suspended, had apparently suffered a seizure right before the accident. All six boys were injured, but three were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
In March of 2015, a truck driver crashed into a school bus, injuring 43 students. The driver also struck another car, whose driver was pronounced dead at the scene. In all, 56 people were taken to the hospital with injuries. Investigators say that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and drifted into oncoming traffic, striking the bus and car. The accident took place 150 miles east of Seattle on Highway 97.
*Contact Us Today*Contact one of our personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation if your child has been injured in a school bus accident, while waiting to catch the bus, or getting on or off the bus. Our experienced attorneys will help you recover compensation for your child’s injuries.