KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers will ride in and follow school buses across the state of Texas this week for National School Bus Safety Week to remind drivers it is illegal to pass any school bus that is stopped and operating a visual sign — either flashing red lights or a stop sign.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers will ride in and follow school buses across the state of Texas this week for National School Bus Safety Week to remind drivers it is illegal to pass any school bus that is stopped and operating a visual sign — either flashing red lights or a stop sign.
Troopers rode on Kaufman Independent School District (ISD) buses earlier this week and on Wednesday and Thursday, October 22 and 23, 2014, rode on Forney ISD buses. During their rides, an onboard trooper will spot any drivers who disregard the law and the following trooper will issue a citation with a fine as much as $1,250.
“Children are particularly vulnerable when entering or exiting a school bus, and drivers who refuse to yield to a stopped school bus put our children in harm’s way,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “DPS will not tolerate those who ignore the law, and we urge drivers to make safety a priority when they encounter school buses.”
In 2013, Texas Highway Patrol troopers issued 566 tickets for passing a stopped school bus. According to the Texas Education Agency, more than 40,000 school buses transport 1.5 million Texas children every school day.
According to Texas statute, a driver – traveling in either direction – must stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped and operating a visual signal. The driver may not proceed until one of the following occurs: the school bus resumes motion; the operator is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or the visual signal is no longer activated.
If a road is divided only by a left-turning lane, drivers on both sides of the roadway must stop for school buses with alternating red flashing lights activated. However, if the lanes are separated by an intervening space or physical barrier, only motorists going in the same direction as the bus are required to stop.
The Texas Department of Public Safety provided these tips for keeping children safe:
When driving in school zones, watch out for student pedestrians.
Slow down and watch for children congregating near bus stops.
Look for children who might dart into the street without looking for traffic.
Know and obey the laws concerning traffic and school buses in Texas.
This week, Kaufman County officials kicked off a school bus camera safety program. At least 10 school buses across Kaufman County will be equipped with school bus stop arm cameras which will activate when the stop arm is deployed and will take a picture and record video of any driver disregarding the sign.
The photo and video evidence will then be sent to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office for review and will issue civil citations to the registered owner of the vehicle in question. A 30-day warning period began on October 21, 2014, for the program and ends on November 21, 2014, at which point the civil citations will be issued in an amount of $350.
