Why Do School Buses Stop at Railroad Tracks?
If youve ever ridden on or driven behind a school bus, you might have noticed that these yellow behemoths always stop at railroad tracks, regardless of whether there is an oncoming train. The driver stops, opens the window and the door, and listens before heading along. To some, the practice might seem like a waste of time, or at least like an overly cautious safety measure. But like many traffic laws, it was a tragedy that led to this one. To understand why school buses stop at railroad tracks, we need to go back to Sandy, Utah, on December 1, 1938, when the worst school bus accident in U.S. history occurred. The tragedy that led to the rule  A snowstorm had been raging in Sandy, where bus driver Farrold Slim Silcox was taking a group of 39 students to Jordan High School. When he arrived at a railroad crossing at 300 West and slightly north of 10600 South (which doesnt exist anymore), he stopped to look for a train by looking through the windows. The law at the time only required bus drivers to stop and look, but it didnt require them to open the door to listen for oncoming trains. As Silcox began to cross the tracks, a train slammed into the bus. The Flying Ute had been heading north from Denver, running an hour late because of the blizzard. It collided with the school bus at 60 mph, dragging it for nearly half a mile before it could stop. Slim Silcox and 23 students died. Driving in snow is exceptionally difficult for school bus drivers  Photo: ecksunderscore via CC  Results from the updated law  Since then, the law has required school bus drivers to not only stop at all railroad crossings, but also to open their door and side window to listen before proceeding. Even on sunny days where drivers can see clearly both ways for hundreds of feet, they are still required to stop, open, and listen. While there have been occasional accidents involving buses and trains in recent history, none have been as horrible as the Sandy, Utah, tragedy thanks to the updated law, which varies by state. Fun and Safe Summer: Check out these helpful tips for a stress-free family road trip  For more on school bus safety as we observe National Safety Month this June, check out our school bus safety tips that you can remind yourself of before school starts back up in the fall.