October 21-25, 2024 is School Bus Safety Week and it provides a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of school bus safety and encourage the entire school community to prioritize safety practices around school transportation.

School buses are one of the safest ways to transport students, but safety doesn’t happen by accident. This week emphasizes the importance of awareness, visibility, and respect for bus safety rules—on and off the bus. Whether you’re a student, parent, driver, or staff member, everyone plays a critical role in ensuring our children travel to and from school safely.

Our students participate in bus safety activities throughout the year. Students in Early Learning, Kindergarten and Grades 1-4 are learning how to be responsible riders, thanks to the Safely on Board program that is making stops at Pembina Hills schools each year in the fall. We believe this professional training done at the beginning of the school year will reinforce that students be responsible riders all year long. 

Key Focus Areas for School Bus Safety Week

• For Students:
  • Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early to avoid rushing.
  • Stand at least 10 feet away from the road while waiting for the bus.
  • Always use handrails when boarding or exiting the bus.
  • Listen to the bus driver’s instructions and remain seated throughout the ride.
  • Never walk behind the bus, and always make sure the driver can see you before crossing the street.
• For Parents:
  • Remind your children of the rules for safe bus riding.
  • Encourage punctuality to ensure safe boarding.
  • Be aware of your child’s bus schedule and route to monitor their safety.
• For Drivers:
  • Be alert and cautious when driving near school buses or bus stops.
  • Remember to stop when a school bus has its stop sign extended—this means children are getting on or off the bus.
  • Follow posted speed limits in school zones and watch for children crossing streets.

Drivers: Be aware – know the laws

It is the responsibility of all motorists to know the laws and drive with extra caution when approaching a school bus from either direction.

• The school bus driver will first signal to motorists that the bus will soon be coming to a stop to load or unload children by activating the overhead alternating AMBER lights.
• When the bus stops and the driver opens the door, the overhead alternating RED lights and side stop arm are activated. This means only one thing — the bus is loading or unloading children.
• Passing the bus when children are loading or unloading is dangerous, illegal and could be deadly.

Failure to understand the laws is no excuse. There are several laws in place to help protect our students including:

• When a school bus is stopped and the overhead alternating red lights have been activated, traffic from both directions must come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the red lights have been deactivated.
• It is illegal to pass a school bus when the red lights are flashing. This is called a “fly-by” and the fine is $567 and six demerit points.
• Often times a fly-by is the result of distracted driving – read more about Distracted Driving, including the penalties at: https://www.alberta.ca/distracted-driving.aspx

If you witness a fly-by, please report it, either to police or call the Transportation office at 780.674.8510. The more information you have the better, including a description of the vehicle involved (year, make, model, and license plate if possible), bus number, time of day, location, etc.

Let’s all do our part to keep our students and drivers safe!

Student Poster Contest

Kindergarten to Grade 6 students are encouraged to participate in the Student Transportation Association of Alberta School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “Bus Rule – Be Clever, Dress for the Weather”. The deadline to enter is October 31, 2024. See their poster for more details.

Our school division is proud to support activities that promote the safety of our students and we invite everyone in our community to join us in making school bus safety a top priority. Working together, we can ensure that every student has a safe and positive experience travelling to and from school.

Let’s make School Bus Safety Week 2024 a success by promoting and practicing safe habits around school buses!

Links to additional resources:
https://albertahealthservices.ca/injprev/Page4866.aspx
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/school-bus-safety.aspx
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/pedestrian-safety-for-children.aspx 
https://canadasafetycouncil.org/school-bus-reminder/