External safety illumination for a bus

A ground illumination system for a vehicle having passenger and driver side exterior walls and a rear vehicle wall, the ground illumination system comprising:

• a motion detection system mounted to a portion of the vehicle used to detect external movement and outputting a signal;
• a control system, receiving the signal from said motion detection system and transmitting an activation signal;
• a light structure which directs light primarily at ground level and along an area strip located adjacent the passenger side wall of the vehicle, enabling a driver to view a passenger located in the area strip via an exteriorly mounted bus mirror or camera, under conditions of low visibility, said light structure being activated automatically responsive to the activation signal transmitted by said control system when movement is detected by said motion detection system in an exterior area at least one of near, adjacent and under the vehicle;
• and wherein the light structure is operable to illuminate the area strip and to display a visual alert including at least one of an arrival of the vehicle, a departure of the vehicle, and safe to cross in front of the vehicle responsive to the activation signal received from said control system, and wherein the vehicle is a bus, the area strip located adjacent the passenger side wall of the vehicle is substantially rectangular and extends substantially along the passenger side wall, and the light structure comprises an elongated LED strip, extending along the passenger side wall.