If you've noticed police vehicles following Hamilton Community Schools buses this week, there's a good reason. As part of School Bus Safety Week, law enforcement agencies across Michigan are increasing their focus on school bus safety, monitoring bus routes and reminding motorists of the importance of stopping for school buses.
The Michigan State Police, Allegan County Sheriff's Office and local police departments are working to ensure drivers follow traffic laws when approaching school buses, particularly when students are boarding or exiting at the beginning and end of the school day.
Hamilton Community Schools School Resource Officer Deputy John Dekkinga is among the officers participating in the increased enforcement efforts.
"We're really working on monitoring school bus routes and making sure that people are slowing down and coming to a stop when the red lights are out for students getting on and off the school bus," Dekkinga explained.
Understanding School Bus Warning Lights
According to Deputy Dekkinga, one of the biggest concerns officers encounter is confusion among motorists about what the flashing lights on a school bus mean.
When a school bus activates its flashing yellow lights, it signals that the bus is preparing to stop to pick up or drop off students. Drivers should slow down and prepare to stop.
Once the bus activates its flashing red lights and extends its stop arm, motorists are required to stop and remain stopped until the red lights are turned off and it is safe to proceed.
"Some of the biggest issues that we see is people seem very confused about what the lights on the school bus mean," Dekkinga said. "When the yellow lights are on, it means that school bus is about to come to a stop. Whether they're getting a student on or off the bus, that is a warning that they give you ahead of time."
To help reinforce these laws, officers are following school buses along their regular routes and watching for motorists who fail to stop.
"We follow right behind it, and we basically make sure that everybody comes to a stop," Dekkinga explained.
Drivers who illegally pass a school bus with its red lights activated may be pulled over and issued a citation.
A Reminder for Drivers on M-40 and M-136
Deputy Dekkinga noted that two of the busiest roads through the Hamilton area, M-40 and M-136, are particularly important locations for school bus safety enforcement.
M-40 has presented challenges because its lane configuration changes throughout the area, including sections with four lanes and others with a center turn lane.
Some drivers mistakenly believe they do not need to stop for a school bus traveling in the opposite direction when multiple lanes separate the vehicles.
However, Michigan law requires motorists traveling in both directions to stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights unless the roadway is physically divided by a median or barrier.
"M-40 is where we're seeing a lot of these infractions because in some places it's four lanes, other places it's three lanes with a turn lane down the center," Dekkinga said. "Some people are getting confused about if they need to stop or not, but unless there's a physical median, barricade, cable barriers, anything like that that runs between the lanes, all lanes need to stop."
A center turn lane does not qualify as a physical barrier. This means drivers traveling in either direction on these undivided roadways must stop when a school bus activates its flashing red lights.
Keeping Students Safe Is a Year-Round Responsibility
While School Bus Safety Week brings additional attention to enforcement, Deputy Dekkinga emphasized that officers monitor school bus routes throughout the school year.
Hamilton Community Schools encourages all motorists to remember these important safety reminders:
Flashing yellow lights: Slow down and prepare to stop. The bus is preparing to pick up or drop off students.
Flashing red lights and extended stop arm: Stop and remain stopped until the red lights are turned off.
Undivided roadways: Traffic traveling in both directions must stop, including on roads with a center turn lane.
Stay alert: Watch for children near bus stops, intersections and roadways, especially during morning and afternoon bus routes.
Avoid distractions: Put away phones and give your full attention to the road when approaching a school bus.
Hamilton Community Schools extends its appreciation to Deputy Dekkinga, the Allegan County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police and all local law enforcement agencies for their continued commitment to protecting students.
School buses transport students throughout the district each day, and ensuring their safety requires the cooperation of the entire community.
Whether you're driving through Hamilton on M-40, M-136 or a neighborhood road, remember that a few extra moments of patience can make all the difference in keeping our students safe.