March 25, 2008 - In an effort to promote school bus safety and educate motorists about the dangers of passing stopped school buses the Duanesburg Central School District will participate in Operation Safe Stop Education and Enforcement Day on Wednesday, April 2. 

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

Every time a motorist violates the law it creates a potentially dangerous situation. An estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass New York State school buses every day. Between the years 2002 through 2004, there were 69 students injured and one killed by motorists who passed stopped school buses.

If the yellow lights on a school bus are flashing, this signals the bus is preparing to stop—motorists should slow down. If the red lights are flashing, motorists 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.

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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