And the most common problem with bus safety, he added, is when students get rowdy. They yell, stand up, move around and throw things out the windows. To keep from distracting bus drivers, he said, students must behave reasonably. They are free to chat, but should draw the line when the volume starts to distract the driver. We follow the same guidelines, but with a little more leniency.
Bus drivers are busy keeping a lookout on their charges and the road.
During loading and unloading, they turn on flashing lights that let cars know to stop. If a car does pass the flashing red lights, bus drivers can write down the car's license number and description for police, who often follow up on such incidents if there is enough information. Officers contact the car's driver and issue a warning or ticket, said Sgt. Thad Carey, head of the Abilene Police Department's traffic division. But most times, a warning is enough.