The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is warning drivers to be extra vigilant as students and school buses return to the roadways.
Each year, more than a dozen children nationwide are struck and killed in their school bus loading and unloading zones because of illegal passing. The latest survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services recorded a staggering 40,000 violations of school bus stopping laws during the one-day count in 28 states held throughout the spring.
“Our ultimate goal is to make sure everyone safely arrives at their destination,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “Motorists should avoid distractions and obey school bus and school zone traffic laws so we have the safest possible environment for students boarding and exiting buses.”
Motorists convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law face a $250 fine, five points on their driving record and a 60-day license suspension.
By law, motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop at least 10 feet from a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. The only exception is when a school bus has stopped on the opposite side of a highway clearly separated by a divider. Even in this case, motorists need to watch for students trying to cross the road to catch the bus.
Besides watching for school buses, motorists should be alert in school zones and slow down to the posted speed limit of 15 mph.
Drivers should know they are also being watched, as more and more school buses carry stop-arm cameras designed to identify those who illegally pass stopped school buses. Zen-tinel is one of many companies, including 247 Security, REI, Seon, Safety Vision and AngelTrax, that manufacture the mobile surveillance systems school districts are installing on their buses to improve student safety.
The Zen-tinel stop-arm cameras caught three drivers who violated Pennsylvania school bus stopping laws during the first week of use in the Altoona Area School District. These stop-arm cameras automatically record any vehicle passing the bus while the stop-arm is extended without relying on driver activation. Up to three cameras capture images of front and back license plates as well as the driver’s face. These images can be turned over to law enforcement and used to prosecute violators.
Dana Vinglish, operations manager of Altoona Student Transportation, Inc., which handles the school district’s bus operations, noted that it was an eye-opening experience for one local driver.
“The police officer questioned the gentleman who ran the red lights, and the driver continuously denied the incident until the officer explained that the police possessed a photograph of the violator’s vehicle as it passed the school bus,” he said.
“Catching motorists who pass stopped school buses is the best way to ensure that level of safety,” said Larry Vaughn, Zen-tinel’s president. “Our hope is that it will act as a deterrent for other drivers. Awareness of the law is key to stopping violations. Once a driver gets a ticket for passing a school bus, he won’t do it again.”
