Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Captain Andy Bremer, Kimball Police Department (left), with K-9 Xana, along with Kimball Public Schools' transportation director Gregg Fossand and veteran bus driver Lorri Norberg remind all drivers to stop and wait for a stopped school bus. Doing so ensures the safety of students and it is the law.
Pay attention or pay the price.
Passing stopped school buses is unlawful in every community, in every state, but it has always been an issue, according to Gregg Fossand, Transportation Director of Kimball High School.
Already this year there have been four incidences – more than the total reported incidences in 2015.
Nebraska state law states that "Upon meeting, from the front or rear, any school bus on which the yellow warning signal lights are flashing, the driver of a motor vehicle shall... bring such vehicle to a complete stop...and remain stopped until the flashing red signal lights are turned off."
Nebraska school buses are equipped with an eight-light warning system distinguished by two amber and two red, alternately flashing lights on the front and rear of the bus.
Additionally, the stop arm extends automatically when the door opens and retracts automatically when the door closes.
Both the eight-light warning system and stop arm are used only when children are entering or exiting the bus while the hazard-light warning system is used at railroad crossings or during emergency situations.
"Once is too much," Kimball Superintendent Marshall Lewis said, "Anytime a bus is stopped, there is a likeliness that children are in the area. Often these children may need to cross the road, and that is why the stop arm is extended and the lights are flashing. It is a temporarily dangerous situation that requires the attention and care of all those around. It is my hope that we never have to experience the injury or death of an individual due to a bus related incident."
While it's illegal in every state to drive past the arm, last year six schoolchildren were killed in the United States by vehicles that had driven through stop-arms.
Moreover, School Transportation News reports that in a one-day survey of 29 states, over 97,000 school bus drivers reported nearly 76,000 illegal passes. Drivers, busy ensuring the safety of their students, don't have time to write down information about these drivers, who continue on with no repercussions for potentially endangering children.
"The fact that it continues to happen concerns us, and we want the community to be aware of the dangers, not only for the students, but for other motorists and pedestrians. The rules, regulations, and laws that are in place are safeguards for everyone, and that is our ultimate goal – a safe community," Lewis said. "I believe we are simply more aware of the danger and have been pursuing violations more diligently in recent years."
While more than a dozen states mandate that school buses be equipped with cameras, such is not the case in Nebraska. Regardless, the Kimball Public School system buses are equipped with cameras to help with the conviction of offenders.
The film taken on the 2013 Bluebird has been used in two separate instances in court as evidence to prosecute offenders, according to Fossand. This bus has not only the stop sign in the front of the bus, but one located toward the back, to make it obvious to oncoming traffic that they need to stop.
"Cameras on our buses may not stop some drivers from violating the law," stated Fossand, "but, if they understand that they are being recorded and will be prosecuted – they might pay more attention."
The offender will have the choice to pay the hefty fine of $500.00 for the first offense, or to dispute it in court. If it is disputed, the bus driver will go to court to testify.
These violations also will cost the offenders in points taken off of their license.
Though the National Safety Council maintains that school buses are the safest way to and from school, with 25 million students across the country on a bus each day, and though they are designed for safety, passing vehicles presents a danger to those students.
"My biggest concern is having a child struck by a vehicle. Kids are unpredictable. We don't know if they are going to dart into the street. It greatly concerns me," stated Fossand.
When an incidence takes place, the bus driver will usually contact the director, Fossand, with a license plate number and description of the vehicle and he will request of them to go the police station and fill out a report of violation.