‘Flashing Red. Kids Ahead’

YEARLY CAMPAIGN PROMOTES SCHOOL BUS SAFETY

As students return to school, motorists will once again share the roadways with school buses. While school bus safety is a priority throughout the school year, a month-long public awareness campaign will remind students, parents and the community about the importance of school bus safety.

“Flashing Red. Kids Ahead” is the theme for the 2019 campaign, in its seventh year. The campaign, sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Association of Pupil Transportation and Arkansas School Bus Mechanics Association, runs the month of August.

Schools and safety advocates throughout the Natural State want to remind Arkansas motorists to obey all traffic laws whenever they are near a school bus. It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus whenever its red lights are flashing, as students are getting on or off the bus.

According to the associations, school bus drivers reported more than 850 instances of motorists illegally passing a stopped school bus in one day. The month-long public awareness campaign is to remind motorists that they play an important role in keeping students safe.

The fines, penalties and punishment for anyone found guilty of illegally passing a stopped school bus were increased dramatically by Act 2128 of 2005, also known as Isaac’s Law. The legislation passed by the Arkansas General Assembly was named for Isaac Brian, an elementary school student in the Bryant School District who was struck and killed when a driver illegally passed his school bus while students were getting off the bus. Act 166 of 2019 also strengthened penalties.

In Arkansas, approximately 6,000 school buses transport around 350,000 students to and from school and school-related activities each school day.

For more information about the Flashing Red. Kids Ahead. campaign, please visit the Arkansas Department of Education’s website at www.flashingredkidsahead.org.