From Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Department of Education
Photo by Dan Dennis on Unsplash
On Monday, Nov. 3, the Shapiro Administration released the results of Operation Safe Stop, an annual school bus enforcement and education initiative aimed at enhancing school bus safety for students across the Commonwealth by curtailing violations of Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law.
Operation Safe Stop is a one-day targeted enforcement and education event where law enforcement officials and participating schools document drivers violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, emphasizing the frequency of these violations and highlighting the importance of driving safely around students and school buses.
During this year’s Operation Safe Stop, participating school districts and law enforcement agencies witnessed 188 violations of the law, up from the 176 reported last year.
“Just one incident of passing a stopped school bus is too many, and this many violations in just one day is unacceptable,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “Responsibly sharing the road with students and school buses helps keep all of us safe.”
The School Bus Stopping Law requires motorists approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm activated to stop at least 10 feet from the bus. Motorists approaching from all directions are required to stop, unless they encounter a school bus stopping on the opposite side of a divided highway clearly separated by a divider, such as a concrete barrier or grassy median.
“Although there are steep penalties for violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, they pale in comparison to a tragedy that could occur if either a driver or a student is not paying attention to their surroundings,” said Corporal Zeina Black, Permits and Bus Safety Unit Supervisor with the Pennsylvania State Police. “If a driver is stopped by law enforcement and convicted of disobeying Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, the penalty is a $250 fine, five points on your driving record, and a 60-day license suspension. The fine increases to $300 if someone is caught by a stop arm camera.”
“Student safety in school zones and at school bus stops is of the utmost importance, requiring the undivided attention of all motorists. Local school districts work hard to identify the safest locations possible for school bus stops and provide training for staff to foster greater safety for all students,” said Department of Education Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Amy Lena. “Vehicle operators can contribute greatly to improving the safety of our students by watching for the flashing lights of school buses and always stopping when students are boarding and exiting the buses.”
Some safety tips for students to remember while waiting for or loading and unloading the bus include:
- Get to the school bus stop at least 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.
For more information about school bus safety, visit PennDOT’s School Bus Safety Tips page on the Driver Vehicles Services website. The website also offers an interactive video illustrating Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting 511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
Follow PennDOT on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
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