More than a dozen years ago, a 14-year-old Pine Bluff girl exited a school bus on U.S. 79 and was crossing the highway when she was hit and killed by a motorist. The horrible impact, the injuries the girl suffered, how her brother watched it happen as he barely avoided being struck himself. All that came out in court, where the driver pleaded guilty to several charges, including driving while intoxicated.
Of course, everyone is keenly aware of where drinking and driving lead, and no amount of tears after the fact can change any of it. But even if we take alcohol out of the mix, there is the passing of a stopped school bus, an act that is repeated a dizzying number of times during a school year, according to various sources, including bus drivers themselves.
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen the big yellows on the roadway, but now that school has started and children are heading back into the classroom, it’s time to reset and refocus.
The rules are not that complicated. Passing school buses when they are stopped to load or unload kids is illegal. Even when there are four lanes separated by a middle turn lane, and the bus is way over there in that first lane, you still have to stop. Even when there don’t appear to be any kids in sight, if the bus’ red lights are flashing, you have to stop. Even if the kids are getting off the bus and not crossing the road, you have to stop.
Just get it in your head that when you see a stopped school bus, there’s a good chance you need to stop.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
But lots and lots of people don’t.
A few years ago, the state conducted a survey where they asked bus drivers to keep up with the number of vehicles that passed their buses. The tally was 884. You might think, wow, that’s a lot of hazardous driving for a school year. But you would be wrong. That 884 was for a single day. And a dozen of those drivers actually passed the bus on the right side where, of course, the door is where children come and go.
There’s the dangerous part of the equation, which can end up tragic. But there’s the ding to one’s driving record and pocketbook. If someone is found guilty of the offense, they can be fined up to $1,000, get 90 days in jail, have to complete as many as 400 hours of community service and lose their driver’s license for up to a year.
These kids are young and not thinking about much of anything. Consequently, this is all on your shoulders. So think of every school bus as the one carrying your child or your grandchild or your niece or nephew and do your part to make sure they all grow up safely.