As 2017 comes to a close and 2018 begins, the danger to school bus-riding students remains a concern. Far too many drivers do not obey the Maryland School Bus Law.
Do you know the law? Throughout the state of Maryland, drivers must stop, and remain stopped, for a stopped school bus with red lights flashing and the stop arm activated. A driver may not proceed until the flashing red lights go off and the bus begins to move. The only time a driver doesn’t have to stop is if the vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction of the bus and there is a physical median/barrier separating the lanes of traffic.
In the beginning 40 days of this school year (with 500 cameras), 7,919 drivers were recorded illegally passing buses stopped to load or unload students. The total citations issued from cameras averaged 198 per day. Last school year in 153 days (between October 13 and June 16), 17,235 citations (112 a day) were issued as the camera program expanded from 108 to 217 camera-equipped buses. Since October 13, 2016, 633 drivers have been repeat offenders.
With camera citations confirming a lack of compliance to the law, it is likely only a matter of time before a child is seriously injured or killed. Make sure you know, understand and obey the school bus law. Let’s work together to make those violations decrease in 2018.
Learn more about school bus safety. Please share the Understanding the School Bus Law information flyer with friends and family. One of the best gifts we can give our children is doing our best to keep them safe!
