With the school year already getting underway in some parts of the state, it’s time once again to be patient and pay attention around school buses. Dayne Huval, the president of the Driving School Association of Louisiana, says too many kids get hurt when people are in a rush and try to drive around school buses.
“Last year we had three fatalities in Louisiana. We had about 51 injuries. That’s too many. These are our neighbors’ kids, these are kids in our communities,” Huval noted.
Huval says that when a school bus stops and puts out its stop signs, you must wait behind the bus until the driver brings in the signs, not when you don’t see any children or when you see the doors shut. He says to take the same caution as if it was your own child.
“You can’t go around those buses until that bus driver has finished seeing every one of those kids clear the roadway. That’s their job,” Huval said.
Huval also reminds drivers that using a handheld cell phone in a school zone is a primary offense.
“Pay attention. Whatever that conversation is, it’s not worth a kid’s life, or injuring a kid, or going to jail, or getting at ticket. Get off the phone and pay attention,” Huval urged.