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School bus safety

School Bus Safety

Student safety is everybody’s business.

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) conducts a comprehensive program to promote school bus safety that includes:

  • Student safety instruction
  • Family involvement
  • Bus safety protocols
  • Bus driver training and screening

PWCS’ school buses are equipped with flashing lights and a stop arm to warn drivers to stop for buses that are loading and unloading students. School buses are also equipped with video cameras to help monitor student behavior.

All school buses conduct emergency exit drills at the beginning of the school year and the third marking period.

Student safety instruction

PWCS schools regularly review school bus rules and provide safety training.

As required by the Virginia Administrative Code, PWCS conducts a comprehensive school bus safety instruction program for students in grades pre-K-1 during the first week of school each year. Additional safety training is provided on a periodic basis during the year.

  • Students practice waiting for and boarding the bus
  • Students practice crossing the road and boarding the bus
  • Students practice exiting the bus
  • Students practice exiting the bus and crossing the road

Bus safety tips

How to safely enter the bus

When waiting for or boarding the bus, students should:

  • Ride their assigned bus
  • Arrive at their bus stop at least 5-10 minutes before the regular pickup time
  • Stand away from the road – do not stand on the travel portion of the roadway while waiting for a bus
  • Form a single line, do not crowd or push
  • Wait until the bus has stopped, then walk to the front door
  • Do not run alongside a moving bus
  • Board the bus in an orderly fashion
  • Use the handrail and go up the steps one step at a time
  • Be seated immediately and stay seated throughout the trip

When students must cross a road to board the bus, students should:

  • Wait until the bus comes to a full stop
  • Make eye contact with the driver and wait until the bus driver signals it is safe to cross
  • Check traffic in both directions before crossing
  • Walk 10 feet ahead of the bus before crossing
  • Do not stop in or re-enter the roadway to pick up items that are dropped without the knowledge of the bus driver
  • Never walk behind the bus

How to safely ride the bus

When riding the bus, students should:

  • Follow the instructions of the bus driver and the bus attendant
  • Be seated immediately
  • Remain seated, facing forward
  • Share seats equally
  • Be courteous
  • Respect property
  • Keep all body parts inside the bus
  • Keep the aisle clear
  • Maintain good conduct

How to safely leave the bus

When exiting the bus, students should:

  • Remain seated until the bus comes to a full stop
  • Leave the bus in an orderly manner; students in the front seats exit first
  • Leave the bus stop area when safety permits, as soon as discharged from the bus
  • Not linger around the bus
  • Cross the street, if necessary, to do so, at the front of the bus and at a distance of at least 10 feet in front of the bus
  • Not cross until the driver has signaled that it is safe to do so. Crossing four or more traffic lanes or a divided roadway is prohibited

Inclement weather

PWCS reviews information from emergency management, meteorologists, and state highway administrators about road conditions, and school personnel also inspect the conditions of roads throughout the county, sidewalks, parking lots, and bus lanes.

When appropriate, PWCS updates our operating status to protect the health and safety of students and staff.

When a two-hour delayed opening or early closure is warranted, PWCS will communicate with families as early as possible to allow ample planning time.

Learn more on the Closings, Delays, and Emergencies webpage.

Two-hour delayed openings bus information

When a two-hour delayed opening is announced, buses will arrive at bus stops two hours later than regularly scheduled.

Learn more on the Hazardous Conditions Codes webpage.

Family involvement

Parents and guardians are encouraged to review school bus rules and bus safety tips with their student at the beginning of each school year.

Parents/guardians (or their designees) are requested to accompany their young students to and from bus stops.

Motorists must stop for school buses

Motorists are reminded that they must stop for school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and a stop arm.

PWCS school buses are equipped with an eight-light warning system. These lights warn motorists about what the school bus is doing. When school buses are preparing to load/unload students, the yellow traffic warning lights will flash. Once the bus has come to a complete stop, red traffic warning lights will flash, the stop arm will be extended from the side of the bus, and a crossing gate will extend for added safety and visibility.

Police are serious about enforcing the law, especially around schools, school crossings, and buses traveling on area roads. Such enforcement, along with motorists who exercise constant courtesy and caution when near school buses, helps ensure that PWCS students and drivers stay safe while traveling to or from school.

Bus driver training and screening

PWCS school bus drivers complete a comprehensive, paid training program culminating in drivers receiving a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and completing first-aid certification.

All PWCS bus drivers undergo a comprehensive background check. This process includes a driving record, medical, criminal background, and substance abuse screening, in addition to receiving personal references.