I'm a school bus driver in Edmonton, AB, Canada. On August 30th 2024, a chilling experience sparked in me to fight this potential danger. 

I was dropping off two siblings at their bus stop when they ran in front of my bus into the road. Before they even left the bus, I got my attendance sheet and as I was marking them off on the PM portion, they already ran off of the bus and before I knew it, they were running across the road in front of the bus. The day before, they walked down the sidewalk along the side of the bus at drop off until I had left, so I did not realize this event would take place. There just so happened to be a truck passing on the left of the bus. It is illegal to pass a school bus while it is offloading children, but Edmonton bylaw does not permit the use of the eight-way lights and stop sign, so people almost always pass anyway. These kids would have been run over if I hadn't hit my horn on the bus.

This incident sparked my drive to advocate for a change. I want school buses within city limits to be allowed to use eight-way flashers and stop signs. These safety measures are not currently permitted within Edmonton despite being recognized safety tools elsewhere. 

According to Transport Canada, each year an average of 27 school-aged children are killed, and 6,315 are injured during school travel hours (source: Transport Canada). The use of eight-way flashers and stop signs on school buses can significantly reduce the risk of incidents like the nightmare I experienced.

By allowing the use of these safety measures, we can better ensure that when a school bus stops to let children off, oncoming traffic is aware and stops too. This easy adjustment could save lives and prevent traumatic incidents.

For the safety of our children, our community, and in memory of this close call, I'm asking for your support. Sign this petition to allow school buses in Edmonton, AB to use eight-way flashers and stop signs within city limits.