With backpacks packed and school buses back on Alabama roadways, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) is reminding motorists that the return of the school year also means a return to increased traffic, more pedestrians near roadways, and school buses making frequent stops.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said the back-to-school period brings both excitement and concern for parents. “As a parent, I understand the excitement and the concern that come with sending our children back to school each year,” Taylor said. “We all want to know they will arrive safely and make it back home at the end of the day. With school buses back on the roads and more young drivers and pedestrians traveling each morning and afternoon, I ask everyone to be patient, put the phone down and slow down. Those few extra minutes behind the wheel are a small price to pay when it comes to protecting Alabama’s children.”
ALEA Department of Public Safety Director Colonel Jonathan Archer echoed that message, noting that troopers will be visible in and around school zones and along heavily traveled routes during morning and afternoon hours. “We know it takes time for everyone to readjust to school-year traffic, but that makes it even more important to leave a little earlier, slow down and stay focused behind the wheel,” Archer said.
For drivers, ALEA is asking motorists to obey posted speed limits, especially in school zones, put phones away, allow extra travel time during drop-off and dismissal, and watch for children near crosswalks and bus stops. Drivers should never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk and should always wear a seat belt and ensure children are properly restrained.
Motorists are also reminded to stop when a school bus activates its flashing red lights and extends its stop arm, and never to pass a stopped bus when prohibited by law. Students are asked to arrive at bus stops early, wait in a safe location away from the roadway, and never walk behind a bus.
For students walking or biking to school, ALEA recommends using sidewalks and crosswalks, looking left, right and left again before crossing, and making eye contact with drivers. Bicyclists should wear a properly fitted helmet, and students should avoid phones or headphones that could prevent them from hearing traffic. ALEA also advises parents to review safe routes to school with younger children and reminds teen drivers to limit distractions and avoid speeding.
“Whether you are behind the wheel, walking to class, riding a bicycle or waiting for the school bus, back to school means back to safety,” the agency said. “Slow down. Stay alert. Put the phone away.”
About Public Education in Alabama
Alabama’s public schools are administered through a combination of local boards of education and the Alabama State Department of Education, which implements statewide standards and accountability measures. Public universities and community colleges operate under the oversight of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education and separate governing boards. Education funding, teacher pay, and curriculum standards are perennial subjects of debate in the Legislature, and decisions made in Montgomery affect classrooms from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley.