Back-To-School Traffic Calls For Patience and Attention

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

Back-To-School Safety Starts in the School Zone

HOUSTON COUNTY — As students return to classrooms across Houston County and southern Anderson County, local roads are once again seeing more school buses, pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles moving through school zones during the morning and afternoon rush.

The school year is beginning in stages across the local area. Latexo ISD began classes Monday, Aug. 3, followed by Grapeland and Slocum on Wednesday, Aug. 5. Kennard students returned Thursday, Aug. 6. Crockett and Elkhart students began Monday, Aug. 10, and Lovelady ISD is scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Those staggered start dates mean drivers may encounter changing traffic patterns and bus routes during the first weeks of school. Drop-off and pickup procedures can also take time to settle into a routine, so motorists should allow extra time and expect delays near campuses.

With more people sharing the road, the Texas Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to slow down, stay alert and make safety a priority.

School zones can become crowded quickly. Parents may be rushing to work after dropping off children, buses make frequent stops, and students do not always pay close attention while walking, biking or getting in and out of vehicles. A driver who is distracted, impatient or traveling too fast may have only a few seconds to react.

Statewide crash numbers show the danger is more than a matter of inconvenience.

In 2025, Texas recorded 877 traffic crashes in school zones, a 12% increase from the previous year. Another 2,358 collisions involved school buses. TxDOT identified distracted driving and speeding as the most common contributing factors in those crashes.

As part of its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” Back to School campaign, TxDOT is urging Texans to approach school traffic with patience, courtesy and care.

Drivers should watch for flashing school-zone lights during the morning and afternoon and obey the posted speed limit. Traffic fines increase in school zones, making it especially important for motorists to recognize when a school zone is active.

Drivers should also put their phones out of reach. Using a handheld electronic device while driving in an active school zone is against the law. Even a brief glance at a message can mean missing a child stepping into a crosswalk, a vehicle stopping ahead or a school bus preparing to load students.

Crosswalks require particular attention. Drivers must stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users who are lawfully in a crosswalk.

The Lisa Torry Smith Act of 2021 enhanced penalties for failing to follow those rules. Seriously injuring someone who is lawfully in a crosswalk can result in a state jail felony.

Drivers should use the designated drop-off and pickup areas at each campus instead of stopping in the middle of the street. Stopping in the wrong place can block traffic and force children to walk between vehicles or cross where drivers are not expecting them.

Motorists should also be prepared for children to move unpredictably. A child may dart across the street, step out from between parked vehicles or move into the roadway while focused on friends or a phone. Drivers should slow down near bus stops, parking lots, crosswalks and school entrances, even when no flashing lights are visible.

School buses bring another set of responsibilities.

Drivers should follow buses at a safe distance because buses make frequent stops. Motorists should watch for children getting off the bus, walking along the roadside or crossing the street.

When a school bus is stopped with flashing red lights or an extended stop sign, drivers must stop and may not pass, regardless of which direction they are traveling. The exception is when the bus is stopped on the opposite side of a divided highway.

A center turn lane does not create that exception. If there is no physical separation between opposing lanes of traffic, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop.

Drivers may continue only after the bus has moved, the flashing lights have stopped, or the bus driver signals that it is safe to proceed. Violations can result in a fine of up to $1,250 for a first offense.

Parents and guardians can help reinforce those rules by talking with children about what to expect at bus stops. Children should remain alert while waiting, stay away from the roadway and follow the bus driver’s instructions. They should also look carefully before crossing and never assume that approaching traffic will stop.

Children who walk or ride bicycles or scooters to school need to remain alert as well. TxDOT recommends using sidewalks whenever they are available. If there is no sidewalk, children should walk on the left side of the street facing traffic.

Children should cross only at intersections or crosswalks, wait for the walk signal and look left, right and left again before crossing. They should pay close attention to crossing guards and follow their instructions.

Making eye contact with a driver before crossing can also help, but children should never assume that a driver sees them. A vehicle may be approaching quietly, or the driver may be distracted.

Children riding bicycles or scooters should wear a helmet every time. Phones and other electronic devices should be put away while walking or riding because they can take a child’s eyes and ears away from the road.

The safest approach is to slow down before entering a school zone, put away the phone and remain prepared for a child, bus or vehicle to appear unexpectedly.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]