Transportation
Drivers reminded to stop when
school buses load/unload
Operation Safe Stop reinforces bus safety
rules
POSTED: MARCH 31, 2011
On March 30, the Port Jervis City Police Department partnered
with Quality Bus Service and the Port Jervis City School
District to participate in the annual New York State Operation
Safe Stop, sponsored and financed by the NYS Governor's Traffic
Safety Committee (GTSC).
Operation Safe Stop is a cooperative enforcement effort designed
to draw public awareness to the problem of motor vehicles
passing stopped school buses while actively engaged in loading
and discharging student passengers. Police Officers throughout
New York State and the City of Port Jervis have increased
enforcement efforts during this initiative by enhancing their
observations and enforcement efforts of school bus operations
during the times that buses are actively transporting school
district children.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) has been
supporting Operation Safe Stop Day since October 2003. During
the previous eight years, the GTSC and the New York Association
for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) have acted as catalysts in
uniting the school transportation and law enforcement
communities in this collective highway safety initiative to
protect children.
The following is a message provided by the Governor's Traffic
Safety Committee:
In the last four years, 35 students were hit by motorists
passing stopped school buses in New York State. Every day nearly
50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass our school buses.
New York State transports 2.3 million children with more than
50,000 school buses to school every year. School buses are most
likely to be on the road during a three hour window in the
morning and a three hour window in the afternoon. These three
hour windows are scheduled where, for the most part, they are at
the same location at about the same time each school day. School
buses are noted for typically traveling at lower rates of speed
and making frequent stops.
Did you know you can't even pass stopped school buses in the
school yard if their stop sign is out? Please take the time to
know and understand the law. Our children are the future. Keep
them safe by following the rules of school bus safety.
When a school bus is preparing to stop, the driver will activate
the yellow flashing lights at approximately 300 feet before the
stop. At the stop, the school bus will be put into neutral or
park with the parking brake set to open the door and activate
the red flashing lights with the stop arm/stop sign being
extended and flashing.
New York State law requires motorists to stop for school buses
that are receiving or discharging passengers.
The driver of the vehicle must stop when they encounter a school
bus in the process of loading or unloading students:
• on a public highway
• on multiple lane roads
• on opposite sides of divided highways
• on a public street
• on a private road
• in a parking lot
• on school property
The driver of the vehicle must stop from
either direction.
The driver must also stop if the school bus has another bus in
front of it to receive or discharge passengers.
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