Credit: Middletown police
PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and Pennsylvania State Police had an important message to reiterate this week: follow the law when sharing the road with school buses.
Officials gathered this week to stress the importance of stopping and highlight the potential school transportation challenges posed by changing daylight conditions.
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From PennDOT:
The School Bus Stopping Law requires motorists approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, to stop at least 10 feet from the bus. Motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop. However, motorists who encounter a school bus stopping on the opposite side of a divided highway are not required to stop when lanes of the highway are clearly separated by a divider, such as a concrete barrier or grassy median.
With the passage of Act 189 in October, school bus drivers can now have access to a valuable tool in curbing infractions of Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law. Act 189 allows for the use of a PennDOT-approved camera system intended to capture only these violations, which gives school bus drivers the ability to safely document valuable evidence that may later be used to convict drivers who have illegally passed a school bus with its stop arm extended and its red lights flashing.
Some safety tips for students to remember while waiting for or loading and unloading the bus include:
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Get to the school bus stop five minutes early, so you won´t have to run across the road to catch the bus.
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When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic.
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Line up at least five giant steps away from the curb or the roadway to wait for the bus.
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Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.
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Never push when getting on or off the school bus.
“The penalties if convicted of disobeying the law are steep – a $250 fine plus a $35 surcharge from Act 159 of 2018, five points on your driving record and a 60-day license suspension,” said Trooper Zeina Black of the state police commercial safety division. “But much worse than this, a tragedy could strike if either a driver or a student is not paying attention to their surroundings.”
Executive Deputy Education Secretary Dr. David Volkman said student safety at bus stops “requires the cooperation and attention of all motorists.”
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Officials warned that the end of daylight saving time could make it harder for drivers to see students as it gets dark earlier.
On October 23, police around the state took part in the annual Operation Safe Stop enforcement and education initiative. Middletown police were among the departments that participated. They said no violations of the bus safety law were found, but officers will continue to monitor bus routes.
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Statewide, participating school districts and law enforcement agencies reported 288 violations of the law, up from the 147 reported last year.
“One violation of this important law protecting our students is one too many,” said Richards.
