Following a number of near-miss incidents and illegal passing of school buses, Wild Rose School Division is taking steps to increase safety.
The division points to a recent incident on Highway 11 east of Rocky Mountain House, where a truck rear-ended another vehicle that was stopped behind a school bus with flashing red lights. While there was no harm to students on board, those involved were shaken up.
Parents throughout the division have also reported more incidents of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses while their children are boarding.
While not within the division, Sylvan Lake RCMP laid charges following a September 2025 near-miss incident south of Eckville, where a pickup truck collided with the back of a school bus on Highway 766. No injuries were reported.
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In response, division officials have met with RCMP in Rocky Mountain House and Drayton Valley, as well as planned meetings with town and county authorities within WRSD.
WRSD superintendent Jodie Mattia says the division is asking for increased enforcement from the RCMP and additional signage from the counties.
“As the school division, we can’t just place signs on the road,” she says, adding they’ve been working with provincial and municipal authorities on placing signs to remind drivers to slow down and not pass buses.
She adds that every WRSD bus has a camera on board that records each “flyby” incident. She says that information will be relayed to the RCMP to help with their enforcement efforts.
In the meantime, Mattia says they can only remind drivers that children’s safety is paramount.
“Drivers — please be aware. Please stop for buses. It’s really that simple,” she says.
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