Bus Safety - Bus Stop, Road Rules, and Bus Lanes
Help us keep our students safe!
Bus Safety and Student Drop-off & Pick-up Reminders for EVHS & EVC
Bus Loading and Unloading Lane (see map):
The service road that runs directly behind EVC is for EV buses only. No through traffic is allowed during school hours. Please use designated student pick-up and drop-off areas. We have recently experienced parents/guardians attempting to drive through or park on this service road, creating unsafe conditions for our students and drivers.
East Valley Central Student Drop-off & Pick-up Location (see map):
The student drop-off and pick-up area for EVC students is located behind EVC off East School Rd. (accessible via Ekelman Rd.). If you are dropping off or picking up your student during the school day (ex. for an appointment or if they are ill), parents/guardians can use the front EVC parking lot, otherwise, please use the designated location.
East Valley High School Drop-off & Pick-up Location (see map):
The student drop-off and pick-up area for EVHS students is located in the lane directly in front of the school. Please make sure to drive slowly through the drop-off/pick-up line and yield to pedestrians using the crosswalks.
Make school bus transportation safer for everyone by following these practices:
Drivers
- When driving in neighborhoods and in school zones, watch out for students who may be walking. Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
- When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
- Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
- In Washington State, all motorists traveling in the same direction as a school bus must stop when the bus' stop sign “paddle” is extended and its red lights are flashing. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction must stop on two-lane roads but not if the roadway has three or more lanes, including turn lanes.
- Flashing red lights, a retractable red “STOP” paddle, and a crossing arm in front of the bus signal that the bus is either loading or unloading students. Yellow flashing lights on the front and back indicate a bus is about to stop to load or unload students, so motorists should slow down and be prepared to stop.
- As a general rule, a driver should not get any closer than 20 feet to a school bus that has stopped with red lights flashing. It is safe to proceed once the lights stop flashing.
Parents and Students
- Arrive early at the bus stop – at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
- Stand 6 feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb or edge of road while waiting for the bus.
- Rural road stops - stay in your driveway, do not wait on the road.
- Supervise young children.
- Be respectful of other people's property and leave your pets at home where they will be safe.
- Cross in front of the bus – at least 10 feet (or five giant steps) – and make eye contact with the driver before crossing.
- Never walk behind the bus.
- If you drop something near the bus, do not pick it up; tell the bus driver instead.
- Do not let children play in the street or around the bus stop. Playing with balls or other toys that could roll into the street is also dangerous.
- Do not sit down on the ground, road, or on the curb at your bus stop. Visibility to the bus driver and other drivers is significantly reduced.
By Doug Dahl
Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald
Question: Am I required to stop for a school bus that has its red lights on to let some children off if there are two lanes in both directions and I’m going the opposite direction?
Answer: There are at least three good reasons to know when it’s OK to pass a school bus and when to stop.
The first, and most obvious, reason is that we want kids to be safe. Young kids don’t always understand the consequences of their actions around traffic, so we have a responsibility to be extra cautious when they’re near the road.
The second reason is that illegally passing a school bus is expensive. The state Supreme Court has set the base penalty at $419. And unlike some other traffic infractions, an appeal to a compassionate judge won’t lower the fine. It’s written into the law that the fine cannot be reduced.
Reason three: Other drivers will think you’re a jerk if you pass a school bus when you’re not supposed to pass. Most of us have specific traffic violations that, when we see them, we really find obnoxious, and for many people, passing school buses illegally sits near the top of that list.
Enough with the reasons; here are the rules, per RCW 46.61.370.
When a school bus has the stop sign out and the red lights flashing, drivers are required to stop:
▪ on two-lane, undivided roads, in both directions.
▪ on roads that are divided to separate the directions of travel, in the direction that the bus is traveling.
▪ on roads with three or more lanes, in the direction the bus is traveling, even if the driver is not in the same lane as the bus.
The reason oncoming traffic does not have to stop on divided and multi-lane roads is because the law prohibits bus drivers from making a stop that requires a child to cross those types of roads.
Just to clarify, see the pictures (see above).
Road Rules is a regular column on road laws, safe driving habits and general police practices. Doug Dahl is the Target Zero Manager for the Whatcom County Traffic Safety Task Force. Target Zero is Washington’s vision to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030. Ask a question.
