Safe Driving Tips around Schools
The St. Charles Police Department would like to remind the community to be alert while driving for the safety of our children in our neighborhoods and around our schools.
- Cell phone use is prohibited in the State of Illinois while operating a motor vehicle; you must use a hands free device.
- Obey the crossing guard.
- Be alert. Children are unpredictable. Children walking, getting on or off the bus, or riding their bikes to school are usually very comfortable with their surroundings. This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards, or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.
- Be careful backing out of your driveway; take the extra time to look over your shoulder to make sure a child isn’t behind your vehicle. Come to a complete stop when approaching stop intersections around our schools and give our kids a chance to cross safely.
- Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light, stop sign, or waiting to make a turn. Do not stop with a portion of your vehicle over the crosswalk. Blocking the crosswalk forces pedestrians to go around your vehicle and puts them in a dangerous situation.
- On a two-lane road, you must stop in either lane before meeting or overtaking a school bus loading or unloading passengers. The school bus driver will give a warning at least 100 feet in advance of a stop by flashing amber and red lights on the front and rear of the bus and the stop signal arm will be extended. You must then come to a complete stop, as well. You may proceed when the school bus resumes motion or the bus driver signals you to do so. You may also proceed when the flashing lights are turned off and the stop arm is no longer extended. When approaching a stopped school bus on a roadway having four or more lanes, a driver need not stop if approaching in an opposite lane of travel. In all cases, traffic behind the school bus (traveling in the same direction) must stop.
Please drive carefully around our schools, neighborhoods, and bus stops. Our officers will be spending additional time patrolling in those areas to ensure compliance. Have a safe and happy school year!
