Stop on red: Keeping students safe

While a week is devoted to school bus safety, there isn’t a week that goes by in the school year when motorists are not putting students at risk.

The number of red light violations – meaning motorists who do not stop when a school bus’s red lights and stop sign are activated – continues to climb in the tri-county region.

Last year’s school-year number of violations were higher than the year before. And the previous year was higher to the year before it.

It is imperative that motorists be mindful of students who travel to and from school on school buses.

As much as parents and teachers remind younger ones – and even older students – to be careful when getting on or off of a school bus, sometimes students can be distracted. Other times students take for granted that safety equipment will keep them safe: things like flashing red lights and stop signs on buses.

And why wouldn’t they?

Sadly they no longer can. As we’ve seen over the past few years, motorists aren’t always stopping when school buses have their red lights activated.

From September to March during the last school year the Tri- County Regional School Board’s bus drivers reported 186 cases where motorists passed buses with red lights activated. The figure was on track to pass 200 violations at the end of the school year.

Reaching such a milestone is shocking.

This is amongst the earliest lessons most people learn in life: red means stop.

Whether the red light violations are being done intentionally, and/or also because drivers are distracted, can’t be pinpointed in each case, although many would argue it’s hard to miss a giant yellow bus with red flashing lights.

The ongoing situation has mystified and frustrated, even scared, the school board given that an ultimate outcome could be injury, or worse, to a student. The board has installed cameras on buses to identify violators and has urged the province to increase fines as a deterrent. But more help is needed. We’re all in this together.

With another school year underway, let’s remind students to be careful crossing the street when getting on or off of a school bus, especially when other vehicles are present because even though they’re supposed to those oncoming cars and trucks don’t always stop.

And as motorists let’s ensure we do our part to keep all students safe.

Stop on red. It’s the only option.