Williamsville, N.Y. (WBEN) - While a number of school districts across Western New York returned to classes on Wednesday, several other districts will welcome back students on Thursday for another academic year.
With school buses back on the roads, law enforcement officials are reminding commuters to give extra time in the coming days and weeks, and be prepared for school traffic. Drivers should also be patient with less experienced student drivers returning to high school and college.
"Pack your patience. School's busy, we have a lot of new drivers, a lot of people on the roadway. If you feel as though you don't have enough time to go from Point A to Point B and you have to pass a school bus, you're the problem," said New York State Trooper James O'Callaghan as part of the annual “School’s Open, Drive Carefully” campaign by AAA. "We want people to go out there and celebrate the fact that their kids are either starting school or going back to school. It's a happy day for a lot of families, a lot of excitement. We do not want it to be the worst day of their lives by losing a child in our community."
One of the big points of emphasis over the years with back to school safety has been cracking down on drivers passing school buses, especially with the stop arms out and the lights flashing to pick up or drop off students. That will, once again, be something law enforcement officials harp on commuters with school now back in session.
"The lights go red, people have to stop. Unfortunately, the New York State Police in the last two years have issued tickets where it's a 25% increase in tickets issued for passing a school bus. Obviously, this is a big problem," said O'Callaghan. "DMV realizes a big problem, the government realizes it's a big problem. So the point value ticket on that is 8 points, $500-to-$1,000 fine. If you pass a bus, you are putting kids that are going into fifth grade or other grades in risk of injury or death."
If anyone happens to see someone driving past a stopped school bus, O'Callaghan encourages anyone to call 9-1-1 and report it to law enforcement, as it will be treated as a true emergency.
"If you are a parent or you're a person that's watching a kid get on a bus and someone passes that bus, get the best description, plate number, and things like that as possible," he said. "We work well with the schools - whether it's Williamsville or anywhere else, and the bus garages - and we will bring those people to justice. We have no wiggle room for people that will pass a bus and put [kids] in harm's way."
The City of Buffalo will, once again, be ticketing anyone who is in violation of driving by a stopped school bus with the stop arms out and lights flashing. The city is partnering with BusPatrol again to provide all school buses in the Buffalo Public School District with automated cameras that activate when the bus arms are extended.
"They automatically detect drivers who pass by stopped school buses. That fine is a $250 fine," said Buffalo Police Chief Kenneth Agee Jr. "The cameras are powered by AI, but they are reviewed by city officials before violations are being issued. While there's no DMV points associated with that, as the trooper mentioned, it's 8 points for those violations. After 6 points, you'll be required to take a driver's responsibility assessment for three years, which is a $100 fine on top of the sanction for passing the stopped school bus. But the emphasis really is on just ensuring that our students are safe getting them to-and-from school."
On top of students riding the school bus in the City of Buffalo, others will also get to school by way of NFTA buses.
"We also partner with NFTA. While those buses aren't equipped with the stop arms, many of our students do utilize the NFTA buses to get them to-and-from school. So with the patrons and students, and any members that may be taking the bus, please just take a few moments to exercise a little bit of caution when passing a stopped school bus, as well as a stopped city bus," Chief Agee said.
While driving in school zones, Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns stresses a few key points to ensure a safe drive for commuters and students to-and-from school every day.
"The first thing is slow down. Always obey posted speed limits and slow down even further in school zones. As you know, children could be a little unpredictable. Watch for school buses. It's a new year for school, and we've had a whole summer without school buses," said Kearns. "Respect all pedestrians, that's very important. And one of the most important things, and we see it all the time, eliminating distractions. Put away the phones and other devices, and maintain your focus. Get enough sleep, and a big one is avoid sleeping [behind the wheel]."
Among the major concerns for Erie County Sheriff's Lt. Jeremy Lehning when school is back in session is distracted driving. He says about 1-in-10 crashes the Erie County Sheriff's Office's Crash Investigation Unit investigates is a result of distracted or inattentive driving.
"With more buses and vehicles on the road, your time to react can significantly decrease. This makes it even more important to set the phone down and not drive distracted," said Lehning. "Young children walking and biking to school are particularly, and especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Parents: Open dialog in the household with your teen drivers is extremely important when addressing inattentive and distracted driving."
Amherst Police Cpt. Gregg Huller also warns of the dangers of distracted walking, for those who head to school on foot.
"I see it with kids and adults now - they're walking on the sidewalk, they have their head down, the phone is out. They're looking at their phone, they're not looking up at traffic," said Cpt. Huller. "They have their earbuds in - my son does it all the time, and I'm always telling to take them out. Make sure that you're paying attention to traffic. Stay off the phone. You've got time."
Cpt. Huller also urges students and parents walking to school to utilize any and all sidewalks, while also being safe with the assistance of crosswalks.
"I know a lot of times there's things that are on the sidewalk - whether it's garbage cans or there's cars parked - but make sure when possible, they utilize the sidewalks when you're walking to-and-from school. Also, if you could cross at intersections - obviously you've got to have some patience. Don't cross in the middle of the street. Make sure that you're walking all the way to the corners - whether it's a stop sign or a traffic signal - and make sure that you're crossing at those crosswalks," Huller said. "Stay inside the crosswalk if possible, and if there's a crossing guard there, make sure we're obeying the crossing guard, watching for their signals."
He adds when crossing the road and if there's a vehicle stopped at that intersection, try to make contact with the driver.
"If you can see them, they can see you, and you can cross safely then," Huller added.
As school resumes, AAA reminds drivers to learn their ABCs of safety:
- A – Avoid distractions
- B – Brake for school buses
- C – Check for pedestrians
"We want people to go out there and celebrate the fact that their kids are either starting school or going back to school"
"We want people to go out there and celebrate the fact that their kids are either starting school or going back to school"
