DeKalb schools honor drivers during National School Bus Safety Week

DeKalb County Schools is marking National School Bus Safety Week by recognizing its drivers, providing refresher training and reminding motorists and families how they can help keep students safe.

District officials say bus drivers transport 40,000 students each day using a fleet of more than 1,000 buses.

Drivers are taking a safety refresher course Monday. On Wednesday, the district will host a picnic and recognize drivers who have gone above and beyond.

Bernando Brown, the district's director of student transportation, urged motorists to stop for school buses.

"A few moments of impatience can take a child's life," Brown said. "When the bus stop activates their red lights and that stop sign comes out, please just stop. Take a few moments. It's the law, first of all."

Georgia law requires traffic in both directions to stop for a school bus loading or unloading passengers with its red lights flashing on two-lane roads and multilane roads without a separating median or barrier. On divided roads with a grass median, unpaved area or physical barrier, traffic traveling in the opposite direction does not have to stop. 

Drivers convicted of illegally passing a stopped school bus after receiving a traffic citation can face a fine of at least $1,000, up to 12 months in jail or both. 

The district is working to add stop-arm cameras to its buses to capture drivers who illegally pass.

Brown also encouraged parents and guardians to discuss bus stop safety with their children. He advised students to arrive a few minutes early, wait in a safe location about 12 feet from the bus and approach only after it has stopped completely and the driver signals that it is safe.

"Do not approach the bus until it's completely stopped," Brown said.