Wednesday, April 21, 2021

GTSC ANNOUNCES 17th ANNUAL ‘OPERATION SAFE STOP’ TO PREVENT THE PASSING OF STOPPED SCHOOL BUSES

Stopped School Buses Are Passed Illegally an Estimated 50,000 Times Per School Day

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) announced that Operation Safe Stop—an enforcement and education campaign designed to deter drivers from illegally passing stopped school buses—will be held tomorrow, April 22.  Law enforcement throughout the state will be participating. Drivers who pass school buses that are stopped and flashing their red lights will be ticketed. Surveys conducted by the New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) in partnership with GTSC show that approximately 50,000 motorists illegally pass school buses statewide each school day.

“It is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous to pass a stopped school bus that is flashing its red lights,” said GTSC Chair and DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “Children and their parents should feel confident that every child will be safe getting on and off the school bus. They count on drivers to do the right thing by stopping and waiting. That is why there is zero tolerance for anyone who violates the law. We will continue to support Operation Safe Stop to help educate motorists and ensure the safety of children.”

David Christopher, Executive Director of NYAPT, said, "Motorists passing stopped school buses with red lights flashing continues to be a serious safety issue for school children in our state.  This safety issue is of greater concern as school buses have not been on the highways at normal capacity for the past year due to COVID pandemic school closures.  As schools reopen and buses take to the road, we need to be on higher alert for school buses on our highways.  Motorists must take this matter seriously and drive without distraction and give due attention to stopped school buses. Students are in a vulnerable situation when boarding or disembarking from the school bus and trust that motorists will stop. The goal of Operation Safe Stop is to educate motorists in an effort to end the illegal passing of stopped school buses. The lives of our school children depend on all motorists to drive responsibly."

Since 2003, NYAPT and GTSC have collaborated on this enforcement and education initiative. The campaign is supported through grants from GTSC and funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

During the last campaign, which occurred May 2, 2019, law enforcement throughout the state issued 12,007 tickets for vehicle and traffic law violations, including 693 tickets for passing stopped school buses. Full breakdown here:

Drivers must stop whether they are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear. Motorists must always stop for flashing red lights, even on divided and multilane highways and on school grounds.

The fine for passing a stopped school bus ranges from a minimum of $250 for a first violation to a maximum of $1,000 for three violations in three years. Jail time is up to 30 days for a first violation and up to 180 days for a second and third violation in three years.  If you are convicted of three of these violations in three years, your driver license will be revoked for a minimum of six months. Conviction of unlawfully passing a school bus while it’s stopped to get or let off passengers will result in five points on a driver license in addition to the penalty imposed by the court.

About GTSC

Combined with enforcement campaigns, GTSC coordinates various traffic safety activities throughout the year, and supports ongoing initiatives to improve pedestrian, motorcycle and bicycle safety. The GTSC also sponsors critical training for law enforcement, provides resources for teen drivers and their parents, and promotes seatbelt use statewide.

For more information about traffic safety in New York State, please visit the GTSC website at https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/.

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