Before it became law, school buses didn’t have to open their doors at railroads. Sure, they stopped to check for an oncoming train. But when visibility is low, say, in fog or during a snowstorm, that method can prove dangerously ineffective.

Everything changed in the 1930s, but the situation still wasn’t ideal. Originally, a student was assigned as a “lookout” during each ride. They’d get off the bus once it stopped and look both ways down the railroad crossing. This continued until it was decided that it was too big a responsibility put on these young volunteers’ shoulders.

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