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Penalties for passing a stopped bus on the side where children enter and exit has risen from $200 to $400 for a first offense. PHOTO/METRO
With the Osceola County School District receiving up to 30 complaints a day from bus drivers after vehicles illegally passed them, officials are hoping a new bill will help curb the problem.
The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill that has now increased the penalty for passing a school bus that’s displaying a stop sign from $100 to $200.
Penalties for passing a stopped bus on the side where children enter and exit has risen from $200 to $400 for a first offense. A second offense within five years would result in the fine plus a license suspension.
The new law went into effect in January.
“We do not keep track of the exact number, however our dispatch center receives between 20-30 complaints from drivers every day,” said Arby Creach, director of transportation services. “Many drivers become so frustrated that they simply do not report them anymore as they feel nothing will/can be done.”
While the increase was a great step in the right direction and district officials were thankful, Creach said most bus drivers and transportation directors feel that it is not near enough as they are “dealing with the precious lives of children and the mix of an increasingly impatient and distracted motoring public.”
“Probably not a surprise, but most recent reports of violations from our bus drivers involve an observation of a cell phone distracted motorist passing a stopped school bus,” Creach said.
Here’s the law: If a school bus is stopped on a two lane roadway, vehicles traveling both directions must stop.
If a school bus is stopped on a multi-lane roadway and a raised median does not separate you from the bus, drivers must stop.
On a highway divided by a median (unpaved space of 5 feet, raised median or physical barrier), cars traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop but should proceed with caution.
For years, the School District has asked the state to consider creating legislation to allow school bus video to be turned in when a driver passes a stopped bus that can be used to mail the driver a ticket the same as traffic intersection cameras, Creach said.
“It has been up for committee approval in the House at least twice in the last five years and was never approved to go to a vote,” he added.
Creach said kids have been hit at bus stops, but “fortunately only minor injuries and no fatalities.”
The School District does work with law enforcement to try to keep school children safe. During the third full week of October each year, the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) sponsors School Bus Safety week across the nation.
Locally, the Osceola School district enhances the awareness of school bus safety during this week by School Board proclamation, special T-shirts for transportation staff/drivers, student poster drawing contests at the schools and it requests a ride along or follow by law enforcement to selectively enhance stop-arm violation enforcement in high violation areas.
On other occasions during the school year, if the School District has a really concentrated concern in a particular area that needs immediate attention, it will ask the appropriate law enforcement agency in the area to help.
“KPD (Kissimmee Police Department) holds safety in school zones and child safety a priority. We dedicate time daily to this mission,” an agency spokesperson said. “The fees increasing will not expand our focus, however it will remind us and our citizens to be cognizant of the issue and address any problems that we may encounter.”
School bus operators are asked to log a report for each vehicle that illegally passes their bus at a particular location and time while the bus is stopped.
Drivers only report passes that occur while the bus is stopped with red warning lights flashing and stop arms deployed.
“Last year, the count week was cancelled due to the COVID shut down, however for the 2018- 19 school year our total counts were well over 500 violations across the district,” Creach said.
The data collected is tabulated with other states and the information is reported to Department of Transportation in Washington D.C.
The data supports future legislation efforts and attempts to provide funding to help increase safety and mitigate the crossing arm violation problem nationwide, Creach noted.
In 2019, KPD issued 18 citations for people passing a school bus while stopped and its stop sign was displayed.
“Our focus is on education of the public and safety of our students,” the KPD spokesperson said. “We want our citizens to become more knowledgeable of the requirements involving school bus stops and understand the new penalties.”
Although the St. Cloud Police Department enforces all traffic laws throughout the year, it launches an educational campaign at the beginning of each school year in order to educate the public on school bus and other school and pedestrian related traffic laws.
“The St. Cloud Police Department will continue to enforce all traffic violations independently of the fine amounts,” Said St. Cloud Police Department Sgt. Jose Nater. “The children in our community are our most valuable asset and our future. Therefore, we ask our community to help us keep them safe by not being a distracted driver, not texting and driving, and by obeying all traffic laws.”
