Milford chronicle., 1955-10-28
Safety Council Stresses
School Bus Safety

The Delaware Safety Council, in
an effort to keep motorists abreast
Of school bus operations and TO
enlist full support in compliance
with the law, issued the following
information bulletin today:
The bright chrome yellow school
buses traversing our highway from
now to the end Of the school year
will carry day after day approXl-
mately 25,O0O school children to
and from school. With this pheno-
menal growth in our school bus
transportation, the Council points
out that il is most important that
every means at our disposal should
be used to insure the safety Of these
children. The first and most prac-
tical means is to know the law and
obey it,
The law under Section ABA,
MEETING OR OVERTAKING
STOPPED SCHOOL BUS WITH
ERM EXTENDED, states:
(a) The operator Of motor We
hicle upon any highway or public
street IN this state, upon meeting
or overtaking any school bus stop
ped upon the public highway or
street for the purpose Of receiving
or discharging any school child, i
the arm Of such bus is extended
shall stop and shall not pass the
school bus until the "arfn" shall
have been retracted against the side
of the bus.
(b) The operator Of any motor
vehicle proceeding upon one lane
of a dual highway or street IN TINS
state shall not be required to stoE
as provided in subsection (a) o.
this section upon meeting a schoo
bus stopped upon the other ian'
Of such dual highway or street toi
the purpose of receiving or dis
charging school children.
Under Section 1852, STOP SIG
NAL DEVICE, the law states:
Every school bus shall have at
tached thereto upon the left sid
thereof an extensible device o
arm, not less than IS inche
long, plainly lettered with the wor
STOP, in letters not less than i
inches in length, capable Of pein
extended from the side Of the bu
or retracted by the driver thereo
The driver Of any school bus shal
whenever the school bus Is stoppe
upon any highway or public stree
In this state for the purpose {
receiving or discharging any schot
chfd or school children, exten
the farm" so that the woT
STOP" thereon shall be plainl
visible to the operators Of all m'
tor vehicles approaching the b.
from either the front or the res
thereof.
The Councils Interpretation
these sections clarifies the issu
that il and when a school bus
stopped along the highway withol
the arm extended, the lnotorlst {
law is perfectly free 70 procee
using due caution. It Is only vine
the arm is extended that the motol
ist must stop. Full responsibilit
Of extending the arm lies with II
school bus operator.
The Safety Councils bulleti
pointed out that through the Stat
Department Of Public Instructio
supervisory courses have been hel
for all state school bus operator
for the purpose Of keeping ther
abreast with the law as it is on tn
books and any changes thereto.
School bus riders through CouI
cil-School programs are constant
being made aware of their respo
sibility for safety in riding bus'
and in crossing highways while e
route to or from school bus loa
ing zones. The Council has
yeara recommended that all pu
passengers desiring to cross
highway should after aiighti
from the bus stand in front Of
bus until the school bus driver
Safety Patrol indicates that a s
crossing can be made. The org
ization Of School Safety Patrols
earnestly recommended by
mated program Of school bus sa
safety Council for a well coof
ty.