The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Brindisi joins call for bus safety
UTICA, N.Y. >> The Norwich City School District recently released a video of a Norwich bus driver, Samantha Call, saving a student from being hit by an illegally passing car. On the heels of that heroic action, Congressman Anthony Brindisi, D-22, joined education advocates and transportation officials Monday to highlight his plan to help ensure children get to and from school safely.
Brindisi is a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Stop for School Buses Act (H.R. 2218) to find ways to prevent dangerous and illegal passing of school buses.
“As a former school boardmember and a dad to two young kids, keeping students safe on their way to and from school is per
sonal for me,” said Brindisi. “Every driver on the road has a responsibility to follow the law and exercise caution when a school bus is near. Our kids’ lives depend on it.”
According to the National School Transportation Association (NSTA), an average of nine to 15 children are killed each year while boarding or exiting school busesnear traffic, and a total of 15million illegal passing incidents occur during every 180-day school year.
Earlier in Utica, Brindisi met Call and commended her and her fellow bus drivers for their commitment to student safety.
“As a parent, I am incredibly grateful for dedicated professionals like Samantha Call who go above and beyond their jobsdescriptions to keep our kids safe. The Stop for School BusesAct is an important step to ensure everyone on the road shares the same responsibility for students’ safety,” Brindisi said.
The Stop for School Buses Act would direct a comprehensive, nationwide review of efforts to prevent illegal passing of buses. Under the bill, the United States Department of Transportation would:
• Compile illegal passing laws in all states, including levels of enforcement and penalties.
• Review existing public safety measures and programs to prevent illegal passing of school buses.
• Issue recommendations on best practices for preventing illegal passing.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of various technologies that may help prevent illegal passing incidents.
• Review driver education materials in all states to determine whether more information about illegal passing should be provided to drivers.
• Research connections between illegal passing of school buses and other safety issues.
• Create andexecute apublic safety messaging campaign to promote safe driving when children are present andhighlight the dangers of illegal passing.