By Lana Pierce
Every August, our roads change. New teachers, old friends, first-day photos – and school buses. But along with the excitement comes traffic, distractions, and hurried drivers. In Hot Springs, where the tangle of one-way streets, tricky intersections, and pedestrian traffic weave a dangerous mix, it is a time of year when driver focus is paramount.
Here’s what Garland County drivers must remember this school year:
• Flashing yellow lights? Slow down!
A yellow flashing light on a bus means it’s about to stop. It’s the same as a traffic light turning yellow: it’s a warning, not an invitation to floor it. Trying to “beat the bus” could mean hitting – or killing – a child who’s stepping into the road.
• Kids don’t think like adults – so you have to.
Children don’t judge traffic well. They dart, they pause, they forget to look both ways. So even if it’s technically legal to pass a bus with yellow lights, is it worth the gamble?
• Red lights on a bus mean STOP. No exceptions.
If the road doesn’t have a median, all lanes must stop when the bus flashes red. Arkansas law is clear on that – and so are the consequences if you don’t.
• Your own neighborhood is the riskiest place.
Familiar streets make us careless – that’s why officers urge extra caution around known bus stops and school zones near home. One glance at a text, one morning alarm fumbled – that’s all it takes. Add in the blinding sun of early fall mornings, and the risk climbs higher.
• Leave earlier. Take a breath.
Rushing gets people hurt. Start a few minutes sooner, breathe through the extra traffic, and remind yourself – the chaos of back-to-school doesn’t last forever.
Let’s aim for a school year with zero injuries, zero deaths, and zero regrets. Garland County’s kids are counting on us.
Lana Pierce is a captain with the North Little Rock Fire Department and owner of The RetroFit. Under a pen name, she has been published in over 200 books, journals, and newspapers.
