The studies would assess motorists’ knowledge of laws that prohibit passing stopped school buses and stop-arm camera effectiveness.
The minimum fine for illegally passing a stopped school bus on the right side jumps from $200 to $400. Driver’s license suspension time also doubles in some cases.
Bigfork (Mont.) School District 38 is prompted by a recent illegal passing incident that severely injured a 6-year-old student at a nearby district to install the longer stop arms on all its buses.
I was recently reminded of all the ways in which students have used their talents to help improve safety in and around their buses by a news story out of North Carolina.
Hopkins (Minn.) Public Schools is testing Safe Fleet’s Predictive Stop-Arm. It uses radar technology and predictive analytics to notify bus drivers and students when risk is detected outside the bus.
The team of sixth grade students from Wake County (N.C.) Public School System create a flashing sign to alert students, bus drivers, and motorists when a school bus is approaching the bus stop.
Mary Claire Jones of Pennsylvania is struck by the vehicle after it drives past the stopped school bus. Jones is listed in critical condition.