As summer winds down and the familiar hustle of the school year gears up, a significant emphasis is being placed on the safety of our children in transit. Nearly 1.5 million students in North Carolina are set to head back into the classrooms this month, and with that comes an uptick in bus traffic that has Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey urging heightened awareness from drivers, pedestrians and parents alike.
Causey's call to action is not without reason; daily, more than 14,100 school buses operate on North Carolina's roads, with scary statistics to show for it. As students on traditional calendars are gearing up to return to school on Aug. 25, those in year-round and some charter schools have already begun the journey back. To not immediately address this flow of young passengers would be, to put bluntly, a neglect of a communal duty.
A report by the N.C. Department of Insurance Office quotes some dire numbers: 128 school bus-related deaths occurred in 2023. Not all victims were bus occupants; the majority were either other vehicle occupants or pedestrians. Furthermore, North Carolina saw 5,189 charges for speeding in a school zone and 968 charges for failing to stop for a stopped bus. "We all have a critical role to play in keeping our children safe," said Commissioner Causey, according to the same report.
Commissioner Causey also pointed out the financial sting for infractions, as passing a stopped school bus could potentially double an errant motorist's auto insurance premiums. These insurance points are a price to be sure, but the real cost is far greater. To prevent further tragedies, safety measures can't be just advised; they have to be embedded deeply into our everyday commutes.
Here are a few takeaway tips Causey emphasizes: Pedestrians should always use sidewalks or face traffic when absent; They never should dart out in front of parked cars. For bikers, helmets are a must, alongside knowledge of road rules and wearing bright clothing for visibility. Bus riders also have guidelines, such as maintaining a safe distance from the curb and buckling up if seat belts are available. Most importantly, for motorists, never block crosswalks, yield to pedestrians, and always stay at a safe distance from stopped school buses to allow children to enter and exit the bus safely.
