On Wednesday, April 16, 2015, Hendrick Hudson School District along with Transportation Departments across the country will cooperate with local law enforcement officials and traffic safety officials on Operation Safe Stop Day.
This program is designed to educate the public on the dangers of illegally passing school buses when they are stopped to load or unload children and have their red lights flashing and stop arms extended. On this day there will be an increase in police presence along the routes that our drivers have deemed dangerous due to passing motorists. These areas include our school driveways.
Specifically, Section 1174 of the state Vehicle and Traffic Law requires motorists to come to a full stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped and has red lights flashing and stop arm extended, this includes buses stopped on school property. We estimate that some 50,000 motorists violate this law every day of the year.
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This is a problem which all transportation professionals are aware of and have always been deeply concerned about. As school transportation professionals, we cannot allow this to continue to happen.
Public awareness and compliance is important to all of us who are responsible for the safe transportation of our school children. Thanks for taking time to read this and for following the law and stopping for a school bus’s red flashing lights.
