PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania drivers are becoming increasingly more reckless around school buses, according to results from a state program.
Operation Safe Stop is a one-day annual school bus safety initiative that tracks and targets drivers who violate school bus safety laws. On a single day last month, participating school districts and law enforcement reported 252 violations.
That number is more than double the violations from last year, according to Kurt Myers, PennDOT deputy secretary for driver and vehicle services.
The initiative collected data on Oct. 20 among 56 school districts and 164 law enforcement agencies, so he said it is possible the results only represent “a small portion of what is likely going on across Pennsylvania.”
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Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Zeina Black, a permits and bus safety unit supervisor, said if words are not enough to stop reckless driving around school buses, maybe penalties will help.
“Drivers convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s bus stopping law will receive a 60-day driver’s license suspension, five points on their driver’s license and a $250 fine,” she said.
The law requires drivers from all directions to stop at least 10 feet away from a school bus that has its red lights flashing and sign sticking out.
Convictions for breaking the bus stopping law fell from 746 in 2019 to 314 in 2020. Still, Meyers stressed that safety is at the core of this initiative.
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“Although there were less convictions,” he said, “one incident of passing a school bus is one too many. … With additional challenges such as darkness coinciding with more of our students’ school bus ride times and the distraction of the quickly approaching holiday season, it is important that motorists remain vigilant.
“The bottom line is that every incident involves a risk to school-age children — period.”