‘Tis the Season to Slow Down for School Children
Student Safety Is in Your Hands
ALBANY, Ga. – As students across south Georgia begin a new school year, child safety is back in focus. The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) urges drivers to practice back to school safety when driving particularly when approaching or following school buses.
Drivers are required to stop when approaching or meeting a stopped school bus that has its lights flashing and is loading or unloading passengers. The exception to this rule is when highways are separated in the center by median strips. In this situation, only vehicles following or traveling alongside a school bus in the same direction must stop. A warning will be given in advance by the flashing red or amber lights on the front and rear of the bus. After stopping, drivers must remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or deactivates its warning signals and all loading or unloading passengers have cleared the roadway.
DDS Commissioner Angelique B. McClendon reminds us “As students return to school, we want every driver to slow down and stay alert around school buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones. Please obey school signs, lights, and signals, but also watch carefully for children walking, crossing the street, or waiting for the bus. Their safety is our shared responsibility, and we want every child to get to and from school safely.”
In partnership with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, local law enforcement, traffic safety advocates, and school districts, AAA-The Auto Club Group has kicked off its annual School’s Open Drive Carefully campaign. Slow down, stay alert, and watch for children in school zones and neighborhoods. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ), 64% of child pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2024 were struck on weekdays, with the greatest risk occurring during the afternoon hours after school. AAA is urging drivers to slow down, stay alert, and help prevent child pedestrian injuries and fatalities before they happen.
