SAFE TRAVELS NC
ISSUE 12 | SEPTEMBER 2025
Start Safe, Stay Safe
We’re back to school, so we’re talking bus safety.
We’ve brought you insight from a man who splits his time between teaching in the classroom and driving a school bus. He often works with special needs children, too. All of this makes him a safety expert in our book, and an expert on how to talk to kids - a topic that transcends even safety.
Also this month: An interview with one of our Teen Ambassadors - also on how to reach and teach young people. Plus: statistical proof that graduated drivers licenses save lives, and a reminder to check your tires.
Thanks for reading!
Thurmond Sheppard teaches in the Johnston County school system. He also drives a bus and says those hours on the road “can be some of the most stressful hours in our day.”
On a typical school day more than 14,000 school buses carry nearly 800,000 students over North Carolina roads. They travel more than 181 million miles a year, according to the NC Department of Insurance.
The most dangerous part? It’s usually when the bus is stopped. Sheppard laid out his advice for parents – including how to get your kids to listen – and for drivers, as you’ll see below.
If you see a bus, pay close attention. Never try to pass a bus with its red stop lights activated, and please don’t try to beat the stop if yellow or amber lights are flashing, signaling that a stop is imminent.
“It’s not worth the risk,” Sheppard says. “People die at bus stops. Children die at bus stops.”
Tell Your Kids
One key thing is: Parents, remind children that a bus is really an extension of the classroom. We are expecting you to have the same behavior on a bus as we expect in the classroom. It’s really pivotal on a bus. Your driver is trying to maneuver this 30,000 pound machine.
Be quiet on the bus, because that helps the driver give you a safe commute to school. Noise, especially exaggerated noises, makes that job really, really difficult.
How do you get kids to listen? A stern face helps. Children read energy. No. 2 is connecting the words that you’re saying to their ultimate safety. Third, talking to them the way they talk. Have a hard face, but also have a soft heart.
Day one, I’m going to give them what our expectations are for behavior. You’ve got 180 days of school. Our expectations are not going to change.
Don’t Pass The Bus
People see amber lights and they treat it like it’s a yellow traffic light. They think: ‘the red light hasn’t come on yet, let me pass the bus.’ The problem is that by the time they’re getting ready to get around the bus the red light, our stop lights, come on. Slow down. Keep some distance. It’s not worth the risk.
You know how dangerous phones can be in vehicles. I can’t tell you how many times all of our bus drivers have seen people run, or almost run, our stop signs due to having a phone in their hand. It’s so common. And most bus fatalities we have are at bus stops.
At The Bus Stop
We have kids now crossing the road on their phones. Just like we have distracted drivers, we have distracted children.
I’m a little old-fashioned. I think if a child is pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, even second grade, if a parent is able, I think you should be there with the child, maybe send them with an older sibling. Me personally, I don’t think they should be allowed to go alone. If they’re over that age, that’s a case-by-case issue.
Eye contact is pivotal. Your eyes say a lot. It’s everything.
Exceptional Children
Most EC buses are short buses, and they’ll have a sign on the back with a wheelchair. Those stops can be a little bit longer. That bus stop may be three minutes. We may have to unharness a wheelchair inside the bus. Be patient. And think about, if that was my child, I would want somebody to be patient.
“What’s your advice for driving in the rain?”
This month’s question comes from Salah in Wake County.
Got a question? Ask it in a short video and send it here.
Tires are one of your vehicle’s most important safety features. Try to check your tire pressure, and your tread depth, once a month.
Checking the tread used to mean putting a penny in the tread groove with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If you could see the top of Lincoln’s head, that meant it was time to replace your tires.
This trick still works, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
But these days tires have tread wear indicators - little rubber bars built into the tire’s grooves. When the tire wears down and those bars are even with the surface of the tread, that means you’ve hit a tread depth of 2/32 of an inch, and it’s time to replace the tires.
Slow Down
Speed limits are often higher on rural roads, but that never means you should go faster than you're comfortable with, especially on the curves.
Watch For Poor Road Surfaces
Sometimes country roads don't get repaired as often as urban ones. Watch for poor conditions that may provide less traction or leave debris on the road.
Leave Space
Trucks ahead of you may have unsecured loads. Stay ready in case something comes loose.
Watch For Obstacles
Keep an eye out for slow-moving farm equipment and animals, and don't pass unless you're sure it's safe. If you need to pass an animal, do it slowly! If you're passing farm equipment, make sure the driver is not preparing for a left turn. A tractor driver's hand signal for a left turn can look like they're waving you past, and often they swing right first to prepare for a left turn, and that can look like they’re pulling off the road to let you pass.
Stay Ready
It is easier to get lost in rural areas. Fill your fuel tank before setting out and keep an emergency kit with you. Remember: cell service may be poor.
This message is proudly brought to by
Are you 100% confident you installed your child’s car seat correctly?
Why wonder? Buckle Up NC keeps a list of fire stations and other certified locations that will check your work for free.
Most North Carolina counties have at least one location.
The group also has lots of information online to help you keep kids safe on the road.
This month we spoke with one of our Teen Ambassadors about how she tries to get a safe driving message out to fellow high school students
“The littlest thing can make the biggest difference.”
In the News
Truck driver was on his phone during I-95 crash that killed 5
- News & Observer
Flood waters sweep cars off road, kill two in Nash County
- Spring Hope Enterprise
It only takes a moment for thieves to steal a car left vulnerable.
In 2024 alone, more than 850,000 vehicles were stolen nationwide, according to AAA – The Auto Club Group.
You can take some simple steps to make that harder:
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Park in well-lit areas
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Lock doors and close all windows
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Never leave spare keys inside the vehicle
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Keep personal items and valuables out of sight
“Simple precautions—like removing spare keys, locking the doors, and installing visible deterrents—can make your vehicle a much less attractive target,” says Tiffany Wright, spokesperson for AAA – The Auto Club Group.
One Last Thing…
In 1997 North Carolina enacted a graduated driver licensing program, creating new license tiers to slow-walk young drivers into full driving privileges as they gain experience.
Crashes involving 16-year-old drivers quickly declined – by 38% in the first 15 years, according to the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. Fatal crashes and those with serious injuries declined 46%.
People noticed: All but two U.S. states now have similar programs in place.
