School districts and law enforcement agencies across the nation have been joining forces to crack down on illegal passing of school buses, but there is little evidence their efforts are reducing the number of these dangerous incidents.
To make drivers take illegal passing incidents more seriously, Michigan state Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. introduced a bill last month seeking to amend the Michigan Vehicle code to enact more severe penalties for motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.
S.BN. 486 proposes giving Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s office the authority to suspend driver’s licenses for repeat offenders, while simultaneously increasing fines for first-time offenders from a minimum fine of $100 to $250 and maintaining the current maximum of $500. The bill would also increase the fine for repeat offenders to between $500 and $1000.
“The safety of our children is of utmost importance,” Sen. Hertel said. “We need to make sure drivers are aware of their surroundings and know the consequences of their failure to comply with established safety laws. As a father of four school-age children, I know how important it is to ensure that our children are protected.”
According to the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation, approximately 860,000 students across the state rely on the school bus to get to school and back every school day.
A few recent incidents have raised concern about the dangers of stop-arm violations in the state of Michigan, particularly an incident in March where a driver hit a 12-year old boy who was trying to board his school bus. The bus was waiting with its stop arm extended and amber lights flashing when the driver went around the bus, hitting and critically injuring the boy.
Under Michigan law, motorists on both sides of the road are required to come to a complete stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is stopped with amber lights flashing. The only time this is not true is when there is a physical barrier dividing the driver from the bus.
“Drivers need to be educated so they know what their legal responsibility is when they encounter a school bus with flashing lights on,” Sen. Hertel added. “This is a critical public safety issue, and updating the law is just one part of the process.”
