Palos Park Cops Plan Crackdown On Drivers Who Pass School Buses

PALOS PARK, IL -- With the first day of school fast approaching, Palos Park police are reminding drivers to obey school bus laws. Anyone caught speeding past a stopped school bus or rolling by one before the bus moves will be ticketed, which could mean a three-month license suspension if convicted. Not only will officers be enforcing school bus laws from patrol cars, they’ll also be riding on buses watching for traffic violators.

Palos Park police will again offer the option to local schools to have an officer riding on problem routes where motorists are not stopping for school buses when students are boarding and de-boarding. Police are warning drivers that officers could be riding on buses to witness violators and radioing ahead to patrol cars.

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Illinois law states that it is illegal to pass a school bus when it is stopped. Drivers must remain stopped as long as the bus has its stop sign arm out and red lights flashing. This law applies at any location, including when buses are stopped in a parking lot. The only exception is when you are approaching the bus from the opposite direction on a road with at least two lanes in each direction. When overtaking a school bus, you may not pass when red or amber warning lights are flashing. (SUBSCRIBE: Get Real-Time Alerts and a Daily Newsletter for Palos.)

Drivers who receive tickets for this offense MUST appear in court. If convicted, motorists will lose their driver’s license for three months, and even longer for a second conviction. You will also have to probably hire an attorney.

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