Back to School in North Carolina: Prevent Accidents

On August 25, nearly 1.5 million students will return to classrooms in North Carolina, resulting in increased school bus traffic on our roads.

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey reminded everyone to keep safety in mind when walking, driving, or riding the bus to school.

Although students on traditional calendars will return to classes On August 25, students at continuous calendar schools and some charter schools began boarding buses and returning to class.

Call to action

Statistics show the need for a call to action. On a typical day, more than 14,100 school buses transport nearly 800,000 students on North Carolina roads.

These buses travel more than 181 million miles each year.

According to the National Safety Council, there were 128 school bus-related fatalities in 2023, the latest year for which statistics are available.

According to the data, nine school bus-related deaths were passengers, while two were drivers.

The majority, 87, were occupants of another vehicle, while 24 were pedestrians.

There were also 5,189 charges for speeding in school zones and 968 charges for failing to stop for a stopped school bus.

“We all have a critical role to play in keeping our children safe,” Causey said, in a Press release.

"Drivers should be alert for crowded crosswalks and school buses on the road, and parents should talk to their children about the importance of traveling safely to school. We must all work together to reduce accidents," he noted.

Charges to insurance premiums

In addition to security concerns, these charges also have repercussions on the car insurance premiums of the drivers.

Pass a school bus Being stopped can result in the driver receiving four insurance points on their policy and potentially doubling their insurance premium.

When driving, if you see a school bus with flashing lights, slow down and be prepared to stop:

Flashing yellow lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop and load or unload children.
Flashing red lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus is stopped and children are boarding or exiting the bus.

Illustration of the light signals on a school bus in North Carolina

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Security advice

Pedestrians:

Walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and you must walk on the street or road, walk against the flow of traffic.
Before crossing the street, stop and look left, right, and left again to see if cars are coming. Never cross suddenly in front of a parked car.
Parents: Practice walking to school with your children, crossing streets or crosswalks when available.
Never walk while texting or talking on the phone.
Don't walk around wearing headphones.

Cyclists:

Always wear a helmet that is tight-fitting and properly secured.
Children should know the rules of the road: ride in single file on the right side of the road, come to a complete stop before crossing the street, and walk with the bike when crossing.
Be alert for opening car doors and other hazards.
Use hand signals when turning.
Wear brightly colored clothing.

Bus passengers:

Teach children the proper way to get on and off the bus.
Have them line up six feet from the curb as the bus approaches.
If seat belts are available, fasten them.
Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before standing up.
If you must cross the street, walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus.

Drivers:

In addition to obeying the law regarding stopped school buses:

Do not block pedestrian crossings.
Yield to pedestrians at intersections and take extra precautions in school zones.
Never pass a vehicle stopped by pedestrians.
Stop far enough away from a school bus to allow children to enter and exit safely. The 10-foot area around a school bus is the most dangerous for children.

Back to school in North Carolina: a call to prevent accidents

Call to action

Charges to insurance premiums