Schools

Parents: Do Drivers Respect Local School Buses?

School buses will be out and about soon because the first day of school in the Pelham Union Free School District is Sept. 9th.

Written by Kevin Zawacki

Students start school on Sept. 9th according to the Pelham Union Free School District calendar, which means the ubiquitous yellow buses will again be sharing the roads with commuters.

For most drivers, the flashing stop sign that extends from a school bus during pick-ups and drop-offs is more sacred than any other traffic signal.

Still, some motorists don't obey. And whether ignorance or carelessness is at work, it puts youngsters in danger. 

A new national survey carried out by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS) uncovered a startling statistic: in the course of a single day, more than 108,000 school bus drivers reported that 85,279 private vehicle drivers passed their buses illegally.

(For footage of illegal passes, watch the above video. The film was provided by ATS CrossingGuard, a company that outfits school buses and other roadway vehicles and infrastructure with camera technology.) 

Patch wants to know: where in Pelham are drivers least likely to respect the school bus stop sign?


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