First Day... Every Day

ALBANY, NY (09/05/2012)(readMedia)-- Schools across New York State will be open for learning this week. Beginning this week, over 2.3 million children will board some 50,000 school buses in neighborhoods and street corners all over our state.

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation urges the motoring public to do one important thing and that is to STOP FOR STOPPED SCHOOL BUSES!!! First Day, Every Day of the school year!

When a school bus comes to a stop and its red lights are flashing ... that means that it is either picking up children or dropping children off. In either case, those red lights mean that you must STOP. Section 1174 of the State's Vehicle and Traffic Law requires you to stop. Your own conscience and concern for our children should instill in you a need to stop.

If the steep fines and points on your license are not enough, remember that a child may be stepping down from that school bus or crossing the street in front of that school bus when you decide it's taking too long or that you are in a hurry, and pass the school bus. Remember that the child you hit and injure or kill could be a family member, a friend of your child, a member of your church or neighborhood. Their life is in your hands. Our children trust you to do the right thing as a licensed motorist and STOP FOR STOPPED SCHOOL BUSES!

NYAPT estimates that, on any given day, more than 50,000 motorists in our state will pass a stopped school bus and endanger the life and welfare of a child. With your help, we could have a first day of school when there are NO motorists passing stopped school buses. And then we can have a second day and a third day and every day with no children being endangered by illegally passing vehicles.

BACKGROUND

School transportation professionals work hard to ensure the safety of our school children. Our mission is to transport all 2.3 million children to school ready to learn and back home to be with their families. We have over 50,000 yellow school buses in New York State. These are well-equipped and well-maintained vehicles. They are driven by over 50,000 qualified and trained school bus drivers who are prepared to transport our children safely. We do all we can to ensure that safe trip to and from school. We need the public to be alert and to comply with the law that says "STOP" for stopped school buses.

Motorists who do not stop and are ticketed and convicted of this moving violation will face fines ranging from $250-400 for the first violation, possible jail time and five points on their license.

NYAPT operates a joint effort with local law enforcement agencies called OPERATION SAFE STOP whereby we target high-incidence areas with the local police in an effort to ticket violators. This program has been operating since 1993 and has met with significant support from local police.

For further information about school bus safety and Operation Safe Stop, please contact Peter Mannella at 518-463-4937.