Editor’s Note: The following information was inadvertently cut from a story in Tuesday’s edition about school bus safety.



Drivers in Limestone County should be aware of new legislation about stopping for school buses that goes into effect Oct. 1.

The new law, intended to alleviate traffic flow dilemmas on four-lane highways on school days, would not require drivers to stop for school buses traveling in the opposing lane if traveling on divided highways with four or more lanes — two lanes in each direction.

“Divided highway” is defined as a roadway where opposing lanes are divided in order to impede traffic traveling in one direction from crossing over into the opposing lane. This includes grass medians, concrete barriers and guardrails.

“Anytime you have a change in traffic laws, you have safety concerns,” said Darryl Adams, the Limestone County School transportation maintenance director.

“I personally would prefer not to have the law changed. My biggest concern is to make sure people understand the law correctly.”

He said the law change would only affect a few stops that his buses travel on the two main four-lane roads in the area, U.S. 31 and U.S. 72.

But children do not cross four lanes to get on the school bus, he said. Buses are required to drop off children on one side then turn and come back down to drop off children living on the opposite side of the road.

He said the recurring problems Limestone County bus drivers see are crowding and impatience.

“When they see those amber lights they should begin the stopping process,” said Adams. “Drivers should train themselves when they see the bus to always slow down.”

He said bus drivers go slower for safety and they try to be professional in their service to the community.

“It’s just beyond me why anyone would put our buses in peril,” said Adams.