Monticello Schools Issue Statement about Illegal Passing of School Buses
January 8th, 2013 by Monticello Schools
In an effort to ensure the safety of its students while buses are loading or unloading, the Monticello School District would like to make sure laws regarding passing of school buses are available to area citizens.
We are working with the Monticello Police Department and Drew County Sherriff Department to curb violations. Both departments have assured us of their support. They will be making special efforts to observe violators of this law. Below you will see the School Bus Fleet Magazine report on deaths that occurred 2011 – 2012 due to illegal passing of school buses. Laws as they pertain to a violator or the school bus driver are also listed below.
One of our most troubled areas is Hwy. 425. Oncoming traffic is not required to stop on multilane highways that are divided by a parkway or dividing strip of 20 ft. or more. This does not pertain to any area in Drew County. All oncoming traffic should stop as well as traffic following the bus!
You can help us by sharing this information with your children, neighbors or friends. Together we may prevent a tragic circumstance in our community.
Thank you,
Danny Lloyd
Transportation Director,Monticello School District
School Bus Fleet Magazine Report
Nine children were killed in school bus loading and unloading accidents in the U.S. in the 2011-12 school year, according to the Kansas State Department of Education’s (KSDE) forthcoming national report.
The number of danger zone deaths was slightly higher than that of the previous school year, 2010-11, which had eight.
In 2011-12, the majority of the loading and unloading fatalities — six of the nine — were caused by a vehicle passing the school bus.
Law
27-51-1004. Passing when stopped prohibited. (a) When a school bus stops and displays its alternating red warning lights for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers, every operator of a motor vehicle or motorcycle meeting or overtaking the school bus from any direction shall bring the motor vehicle or motorcycle to a complete stop before reaching the school bus. (b) The operator of the motor vehicle or motorcycle shall not start up or attempt to pass in any direction until the school bus vehicle has finished receiving or discharging its passengers and is in motion again.
ACT 718: REPORTING OF PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS
• (1) The school bus driver who observes an operator of a motor vehicle violating § 27-51-1004 or § 27-51-1005 shall report the license plate number, issuing state if different than Arkansas, and a brief description of the vehicle to the superintendent within two (2) hours after the end of the driver’s shift for that period of the day.
• (2) Within forty-eight (48) hours of the observation, the superintendent shall provide the information to the local prosecuting attorney.
• (d) A school bus driver who fails to carry out the provisions of subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
• (e) (1) The prosecuting attorney who is provided a report under this section shall provide written notice to the superintendent regarding the outcome of the report.
• (2) The superintendent shall provide information regarding the outcome of the report to the driver of the school bus who initiated the report.
• (f) Nothing in this section shall limit a person who observes an operator of a motor vehicle violating § 27-51-1004 or § 27-51-1005 from reporting the incident to the local prosecuting attorney.
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Wow! I tried to get help with this problem a few years ago when we lived on Hwy 425 and my kids had to ride the bus and cars would not stop when the bus was stopped. This issue has been a problem for a while. Now if we could get help with making people use their blinkers, stopping at the stop signs and not pulling out and driving down the turning lanes, this could be a fairly safe place to live!!
So ifyou are not required to stop as oncoming why is it taught? I see it being a problem but a highway that large can the students not get off in a parking lot? outside of town I see it different oncoming traffic needing to stop. I think this issue should be brought up for debate and resolved. I mean if you are required to stop why do we teach that we dont have to. Our highways in town are way too big for a bus to stop right in the middle of 425 and not expect an accident.
HWY 83 North is also a concern. I suggest to install cameras on school bus and increase penalties.
Jody,
Please re-read this post. You are misunderstanding what has been said. All traffic has to stop for a bus stop in Drew County. Multilane roads in Drew County have been constructed with less than 20 ft. medians. Our state law requires all traffic, either direction to stop.
I see. Lol. I didn’t realize they wasn’t 20′.
Georgia
The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking from either direction any school bus stopped on the highway shall stop before reaching the bus when the visual signals indicating that traffic should stop are in operation. School buses are authorized to mount video cameras on the vehicle to record violations of this law.
And trust me they will show up at your door i watch them take my x wife off to jail
The easiest and safest answer on any major highway is to pickup and drop off students door side. I find it hard to believe that you have students crossing major highways to begin with. In most towns and/or cities this is the way the busses are routed to prevent harm to the student. Sounds like bad routing schedules. I worked for a school district in Texas that bussed 43,000 students daily and all areas that were considered hazardous the students were picked up and dropped off door side, even on just busy streets, not just major highways.