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National School Bus Safety Week theme reminds drivers and students
to be careful at the bus stop 
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[October 23, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- During National
School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 22-26, the Illinois State Board of
Education and Illinois Department of Transportation are reminding
students, parents and drivers about the importance of school bus
safety both on and off the school bus. The theme for the week, "Be
Aware, Cross with Care," reminds Illinois' schoolchildren to be
mindful of hazards any time they must cross the street and are
walking to and from the bus stop.
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 "Many of our more than 2 million students either ride the school bus
to and from school or to an extracurricular activity. While school
buses are the safest way for students to be transported, accidents
do occur," said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A.
Koch. "Many accidents involving school buses occur as a result of
motorists who attempt to pass a stopped school bus with flashing red
warning lights while students load or unload. By observing National
School Bus Safety Week, we are drawing attention to the importance
of bus safety in Illinois."
School Bus Safety Week was established in 1966 and is celebrated
the third full week of October each year. The goal is to educate
students, parents and the motoring public about the safety of our
nation's children who are transported daily on yellow school buses.
"The number one priority for the Illinois Department of
Transportation is the safety of all those who use our roadways, and
this is especially true when it comes to the safety of everyone who
rides a school bus," said IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees. "IDOT's
Division of Traffic Safety has a rigorous school bus safety
inspection program, and we work closely with school systems across
the state to ensure that our school buses meet the safety standards
all of us expect. At the same time, drivers have an obligation to
make sure they follow the law when they see a school bus on the
road."
The American Public Transit Association reports that
approximately 400,000 yellow school buses serve American elementary
and high school students. In Illinois alone, there are roughly
29,000 schools buses operating. In all, about 22.5 million
school-age children ride yellow school buses to and from school
nationwide.
There are several new school bus transportation laws that affect
both motorists and school bus drivers:
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Public Act
95-0105, effective Jan. 1, 2008, states that if the owner of a
vehicle that illegally passes a school bus that is stopped to
load or unload students contends that another person was driving
the vehicle, the state's attorney, acting in response to a
signed complaint, may require the owner to identify the driver
in a written statement or deposition. Failure of the vehicle
owner to identify the driver shall result in a three-month
suspension of the owner's vehicle registration.
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Public Act
95-0176, effective Jan. 1, 2008, requires each school bus
operated in Illinois to display on the rear of the bus a
telephone number to be used to report erratic driving. Requires
school districts and contractors to have a policy in place to
investigate reports of erratic driving and to report what action
was taken in response.
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Public Act
95-0260, effective Aug. 17, 2007, requires each school district
and contractor in Illinois to have a policy in place by Jan. 1,
2008, that requires the driver to shut off the ignition,
activate the interior lights and walk to the rear of the bus to
check for children still on board. If an electronic device is
used, that device must activate the interior lights when the
ignition is shut off.
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Public Act
95-0319, effective Aug. 21, 2007, allows the strobe light on a
school bus to be illuminated at any time a bus is being used as
a school bus and is bearing one or more pupils.
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Public Act
95-0352, effective Aug. 23, 2007, will allow both a visual and
audio recording to be made on the interior of a school bus when
transportation is provided for any school-related activity.
Notice of such recordings will have to be provided to parents
and students and be clearly posted on the entrance door and
inside the school bus. Recordings must be held confidential and
can be used by school officials and law enforcement personnel
only for disciplinary actions or prosecutions related to
incidents occurring in or around the school bus.
For more information about school bus safety, visit
http://www.isbe.net/funding/html/bus_safety.htm.
[Text from
Illinois State Board of Education file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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