MERRIAM, Kan. — Police officers from nine different departments across the Shawnee Mission School District geographic area are riding along on school buses starting today, but not for the reasons you might think. Motorists not stopping for school buses as they load and unload students is on the rise, with 36 reported incidents so far this school year and 8 incidents in January.
To combat this increasing safety problem Shawnee Mission School District and its transportation provider, Durham School Services, teamed up with nine local police department to establish the Badges on Buses program, which launched today at Oak Park-Carpenter Elementary in Overland Park, KS. The goal is to help raise awareness about the problem in an effort to increase safety for students as they are picked up and dropped off for school.
“Safety is our highest priority,” said Les Hutchinson, Safety and Training Supervisor for the Durham School Services Merriam location. “We have a serious problem with vehicles not stopping for our buses when they are picking up and dropping off students. We couldn’t be happier with the support we’ve received from the school district and local law enforcement. We think it will make a big difference.”
Badges on Buses uses school bus driver data to determine the areas that have the highest incident rates. Officers then ride along on buses in these areas, and when a vehicle does not stop for the bus’s stop arm and red flashing lights, an officer radios to a patrol car waiting nearby, literally catching the violator in the act. The issue has caught the attention of lawmakers who have raised the fine from $100 to $300.
”This program is vital to the safety of our students,” said Ron Roe, Purchasing Director for the district. “We need to raise awareness so that drivers stop when buses stop.”
Tips from the National School Transportation Association
Laws exist to protect children getting on and off the bus. Check with your school or police department for more information on your state’s laws. Here are some rules:
- Vehicles must stop when the bus displays flashing red warning lights and extends the stop signal arm. Vehicles may not pass until the flashing red lights and signals are turned off.
- Vehicles traveling in the same direction as the bus are always required to stop. In some states, vehicles moving in the opposite direction on a divided roadway are also required to stop. Check the law in your state.
- Never pass on the right side of the bus, where children enter or exit. This is illegal and can have tragic results.
- Violation of these laws can result in a citation and fine. In many places, school bus drivers can report passing vehicles.
