Eagan Police Bus Busts Distracted Drivers

From the City of Eagan:

October 4 2019

Kids are back to school, so it’s time for drivers to study up as well on the rules related to school bus safety. According to local school bus drivers, motorists often do not stop when their STOP arms are out and red lights are flashing. It’s important that drivers stop for these signals to allow children to enter and exit buses safely.

Too often, driver distraction is a factor in these violations, according to Eagan Police. To bring attention to the problem, Eagan officers, and officers from around Dakota County, will be conducting another round of operation “Busted by the Bus” this fall to help reinforce the Hands-Free Law.

As with their successful campaign earlier this year, officers will be staked out on a moving school bus looking for distracted drivers. Children will not be present during the operation and the bus will not be making any fake stops to generate stop-arm violations.

During the operation this spring, officers stopped 131 drivers, issued 60 citations and arrested 1 person for driving under the influence. The five officers on the bus spotted a variety of distracted driving behaviors, from taking a selfie to checking social media to texting.

“We are all aware that drivers are on their best behavior when they see a squad car. This is the same reaction we hope drivers will have when they see a yellow school bus,” says Eagan Police Officer Aaron Machtemes. “Drivers need to put down their distractions and pay close attention when they are around school buses.”

School District 196 buses make approximately 8,800 stops a day and see as many as 18 violations daily. These violations pose a hazard to both children and drivers. “Busted by the Bus” is aimed at curbing these dangerous driving behaviors.

This press release was produced by City of Eagan. The views expressed here are the author’s own.