Division News Article

Fog and school bus safety

March 14th, 2018

Recent foggy conditions have made the morning commute challenging in some areas. In cases of patchy fog it’s not reasonable to issue a sytem-wide bus cancellation. We empower our bus drivers to assess their local conditions and make decisions. Student safety is our top priority and we fully support driver decisions to delay bus runs until visibility improves. As an added safety measure, all PHPS buses run strobe lights every day, regardless of visibility. 

What can parents do?
Communicate with your bus driver. Let them know what conditions are like in your area. This will help them make an informed decision. If buses are running and you are concerned about sending your child on the bus because of poor conditions, you can always keep your child at home, or take them to school yourself. It’s ultimately your decision – one we fully respect and support.

How our drivers deal with fog
Here are some of the rules and guidelines we provide our drivers to help them deal with reduced visibility conditions.

  1. School buses will not stop:
    • on highways when visibility is less than 300 metres (approx 3 power poles).
    • on rural gravel roads when visibility is less than 100 metres.
  2. When possible, drivers will make alternate arrangements to avoid making left hand turns onto highways. Drivers are expected to not cross any lanes of traffic, when reduced visibility is such that it can not be done safely.
  3. Drivers will treat intersections like railway crossings — shut off all noise, open the window and door, and listen for traffic before proceeding.
  4. Drivers may communicate with parents on their route to find out what conditions are like at various stops.

It’s important that all drivers on the road slow down when visibility is reduced. Our drivers make decisions to reflect their highest priority: the safety of our children.