Albany, NY – Call to Increase Penalties for Passing Stopped School Buses

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    Albany, NY – The New York Association for Pupil Transportation is calling for state action on proposed laws to increase penalties for passing stopped school buses.

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    The organization found in a study that drivers illegally pass a stopped school bus more than 50,000 times a day. Several children have been killed over the past few years by drivers passing buses illegally, and 75 kids were reported injured by vehicles that had passed their buses between 2002 and 2007.

    Assemblyman Peter Rivera has proposed a bill authorizing the placement of video cameras on school buses to record motorist violations, with images to be used as evidence in prosecution of offenders. The bill also makes it a felony of criminally negligent homicide when a child is killed by a driver passing a stopped school bus.


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    8 Comments
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    12 years ago

    As much as I detest the many efforts to oppress motorists, this effort has my support. I’m not sure this is the best way to address the problem. Does increasing the fines deter the drivers who pass the buses, or does it punish them better. The increased revenue to the coffers is not my interest, and I’m not all that certain that this increases safety. The enforcement in getting caught may be a better deterrent. Some (usually politicians) believe that legislation is the best way to solve problems. Sometimes they are right, but often they are off target.

    The numbers here are not revealing enough. In reality, it is not just about the numbers of children injured, but the number of children who are endangered. That number is astronomical.

    Mandel
    Mandel
    12 years ago

    that’s for bikers too!! hope they understand by not stopping for a school bus red flashers you are putting kids in danger!!!….. it takes an extra second to safe a child..

    chaimbrooklyn
    chaimbrooklyn
    12 years ago

    I drive a school bus in brooklyn and I must say that there is a lot of cars passing when the flashers Is on, this is extremely dangerous… When kids are going off the bus they never check if a car is coming they go right away, I saw it even by bigger kids they just cross without looking, maybe we have to warn the kids in school to be very cautious.

    lbpss
    lbpss
    12 years ago

    Right they are. As someone who lives in monsey close to a stop sign, there are always people speeding like abimals even if they have to stop a few 100 feet away. Hang up your cell phones stop texting and keep your eyes on the road. It could be your own kid.

    12 years ago

    I am against fines being a way to tax people to death but there should be a minimum $500 fine to show it is a serious offence All bicycle riders and motorcycle should like wise be charged with bicycles being taken away on the spot since they have no license or id.

    12 years ago

    The fine is already hefty (I’m thinking $350 + points, but I could be wrong). The problem is lack of enforcement. I suspect cameras on the buses would be like red light cameras, in that they wouldn’t indicate the identity of the driver.

    Raphael_Kaufman
    Raphael_Kaufman
    12 years ago

    Fines won’t do it. There should be a minimum of 30 days in jail for first offense, no “community service” allowed. Second offense should bring 90 days to a year in the clinck. Bear in mind that the law prohibits anyone, repeat anyone, from passing a school bus with it’s red lights flashing. Even fire apparatus, police cars and ambulances with patients must stop for a school school bus picking up or dsicharging children.

    MonseyMom2
    MonseyMom2
    12 years ago

    I’ve been telling people for years that school busses should be equipped with cameras, like red-light cameras. These days digital cameras are so affordable, that this should not be too expensive to implement. Maybe the idea somehow trickled out to politicians…
    I live in Monsey and the amount of times I see people pass busses with lights on, is incredible. This is a far worse offense than any other improper passing. This is the only time where there is a 100% chance that a pedestrian is walking, likely in front of your vehicle, and possibly too short for you to see. There were times when I had to walk out into the middle of the street to stop a car that was trying to pass my children’s school bus. (The bus stops on the wrong side of the street, so my kids have to cross a two-way.) What are these people thinking?!!? (I know- the problem is, they’re not!)