DCS to participate in statewide campaign, Operation Safe Stop

March 26, 2007 - In an effort to promote school bus safety and educate motorists of the dangers of passing stopped school buses the Duanesburg Central School District will participate in Operation Safe Stop on Tuesday, March 27.

Law enforcement officers will be in full force aboard school buses and in marked and unmarked vehicles throughout the district to issue tickets to drivers who pass stopped school buses with their red lights flashing.

“It is illegal and extremely dangerous to pass a stopped school bus displaying flashing red lights,” said Transportation Manager Harry Folckemer. “It should be an every day practice, not just on Operation Safe Stop, for motorists to stop when a school bus is stopped.”

If the yellow lights on a bus are flashing, slow down, the bus is preparing to stop. If the red lights are flashing, you must stop. It's the law! The red lights indicate the bus is stopped to load or unload students.

Drivers must always stop for school buses, even:

• on the opposite sides of divided highways,
• on multiple lane roadways,
• in parking lots,
• on school grounds,
• while approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear.

The first-time fine for illegally passing a school bus is a minimum $250 fine, 5 points on your license, and/or possibly up to 30 days in jail. The second offense jumps to a minimum fine of $600, 5 points on your license and/or possibly up to 180 days in jail.

“The penalties for violating the law are severe for a reason,” said Folckemer. “Every time a motorist violates the law it creates a potentially dangerous situation.”

Operation Safe Stop is a cooperative project supported by the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Education Department, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, the New York State School Bus Contractors Association, the student transportation industry and state, county, city and local law enforcement agencies.

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