Police, classrooms recognize School Bus Safetyweek

Law enforcement officers and schools in mid Michigan are promoting School Bus Safety Week.

“People need to be very vigilant and if someone’s being impatient and not slowing down or stopping on bus routes, it could lead to tragedy,” Shepherd Police Chief Luke Sawyer said. “Every day should recognize school safety but we want to make people more aware.”

According to a press release from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Operation Safe Stop is part of national School Bus Safety Week, which runs Oct. 19-23 and Michigan officers will be ramping up patrols ofmotorists illegally passing school buses.

“We from MPPD look for this throughout the school year to keep the children in our community safe,” Mt. Pleasant Police Department public information officer Autume Balcom said.

In 2019, nearly 2,100 citations were issued to drivers for failing

to stop for a school bus, the most in the last 10 years. According to themichigan State Police ( MSP) Criminal Justice Information Center, there were 1,197 crashes involving school buses inmichigan in 2019. Of those, 114 happened at bus stops. From the bus stop crashes, there were 42 injuries.

Michigan bus drivers conducted a one- day survey in May 2019. In just that one day, the 1,373 participating bus drivers reported 508 times that a motorist passed a school bus illegally.

“This is anongoing issue in our district, as well as other districts, and is especially prevalent on certain roads,” Mt. Pleasant Public Schools (MPPS) director of transportation Cathy Schafer said.

“Isabella Road south of Pickard, M-20 both east and west of town, and Deerfield Road between Old Mission and Crawford Roads, are a few examples of the worst spots.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, local officers rode along with one of the buses to catch some red light runners.

“There will be officers in cars strategically positioned along the route so that they can pull over any violators,” Schafer said.

Getting caught could lead to a large fine andpoints added on a driver’s license.

“We want people to take this seriously no matter what,” Sawyer said.