Wolf Administration Announces Results of Operation Safe Stop 2017

Wolf Administration Announces Results of Operation Safe Stop 2017

11/6/2017-HARRISBURG

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) was joined today by
the
Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Department of Education,
Fairview
Township Police Department and West Shore School District transportation
partners to reinforce the importance of school transportation safety and
highlight the potential school-transportation challenges posed by changing
daylight conditions.

The results of Operation Safe Stop, an annual school-bus enforcement and
education initiative that was held on October 18 this year, were also
announced.

"With darkness coinciding with more of our students' school-bus rides and
the
holiday season quickly approaching, it is important that motorists remain
vigilant while sharing the road with school buses and students," said
PennDOT
Secretary Leslie S. Richards. "We unfortunately saw more people breaking
the
School Bus Stopping Law last year so we're reminding motorists of its
importance."

Data PennDOT gathered for Operation Safe Stop on October 18 revealed that
participating school districts and law enforcement agencies reported 120
violations of the law. The initiative is held in conjunction with local and

state police departments, school districts and pupil transportation
providers
to conduct enforcement, raise public awareness about the consequences of
improper passing of school buses, and reduce occurrences. Convictions for
breaking the School Bus Stopping Law increased from 701 in 2015 to 730 in
2016.

The School Bus Stopping Law requires motorists approaching a school bus
with
its red lights flashing and stop arm extended, to stop at least 10 feet
from
the bus. Motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop.
However, motorists who encounter a school bus stopping on the opposite side
of
a divided highway are not required to stop when lanes of the highway are
clearly separated by a divider, such as a concrete barrier or grassy
median.

"The penalties if convicted of disobeying the law are a $250 fine, 5 points
on
your driving record and a 60-day license suspension," said Lt. Robert Krol,

Director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Division in the Bureau of Patrol
for
the Pennsylvania State Police. "But worse than these penalties, a tragedy
could
strike if either a driver or a student is not paying attention to their
surroundings."

Some safety tips for students to remember while waiting for or loading and
unloading the bus include:
• Get to the school bus stop five minutes early, so you won´t have to run
across the road to catch the bus.
• When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic.
• Line up at least five giant steps away from the curb or the roadway to
wait
for the bus.
• Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.
• Never push when getting on or off the school bus.

"As the safety of students is our top priority, PDE encourages our local
school
districts to choose the safest locations possible for school bus stops,"
said
Dr. David Volkman, Executive Deputy Secretary, Department of Education.
"But
even with added precautions of ongoing training of school staff and
students on
school transportation safety, we need the cooperation of all motorists to
ensure that our students remain out of harm's way."

For more information on school transportation and other safety subjects,
visit
www.penndot.gov and under "Travel in PA" look under "Safety," then click on
the
"Traffic Safety and Driver Topics" tab.

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