September means back to school for many children here in New York State. Whether you are sending your children to school or simply sharing the roads with school buses on your morning commute, it is important for you to be up to date on the current laws and expectations regarding school buses.
According to the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, a school bus is the safest way to transport children to and from school. However, while children are entering and exiting the bus, they become susceptible to serious injury. This is due to the high number of incidents involving motorists illegally passing stopped school buses. Based on a March 2018 study, bus drivers were passed 30,252 times illegally statewide by motorists on the day they were surveyed. This number is very alarming when it comes to ensuring the safety of our children.
Currently, under New York State’s Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1174, it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on the top of the bus are flashing. The flashing lights mean that the bus is picking up or dropping off students. This also applies on divided and multi-lane highways, as well as on school grounds to ensure safety for all students … read more.