Illegal Passing Presents Dangers to Our Children

ALBANY, NY (04/26/2009)(readMedia)-- Calling illegal passing of school buses a serious risk for our children, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation is working with the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to employ advanced technology to catch up with drivers who pass school buses that are stopped to pick up or drop off students.

This new technology comes in the form of an MPH-900 Advanced License Plate Reader manufactured by ELSAG, North America. This equipment is currently in use by dozens of police agencies across New York State to aid in major law enforcement activities. It will be installed on a school bus in the Canandaigua City School District. Use of the ELSAG MPH-900 is being supported under a pilot project through a grant to NYAPT from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This innovative and cutting edge effort to help combat such a dangerous problem is being deployed on school buses in three school districts for the remainder of the school year. Under the project NYAPT intends to demonstrate the effectiveness of such devices in identifying and apprehending motorists who pass school buses illegally and therefore endanger our children.

NYAPT also intends to use the experience with the cameras to drive home the message to motorists that this is not only illegal activity but also is dangerous for our children. Accordingly, the pilot project will include public education and issuance of formal warnings to violators. NYAPT is compelled to remind the public that the law requires vehicles to STOP for a school bus that is stopped and has its red flashing lights engaged. Those flashing red lights mean that a child is about to board the school bus or step down from the school bus. In short, all vehicles moving in either direction are required by law to STOP. Violators face stiff penalties that include fines and points on one's license in addition to possible time in jail. NYAPT notes the startling fact that, despite the law, motorists pass stop school buses at least 50,000 times each day in New York State. That is at least 50,000 times every day that a child is placed at great risk of being injured or even killed.

In addition to the Canandaigua City Schools, the project will equip school buses from the Bethlehem Central School District and the Brewster Central School District.

For further information on this important pilot project, on OPERATION SAFE STOP or on the overall issue of illegal passing of school buses, please contact Peter Mannella at the New York Association for Pupil Transportation at 518-463-4937 or cell as needed at 518-588-3924.

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