Most schools around central New York are reopening Tuesday, and drivers are being reminded to slow down, watch for pedestrians, and be aware of stopped school buses.
"When a school bus turns on its red lights and extends its stop arm, that means that all vehicles on the roadway - no matter what direction you're traveling in - need to come to a complete stop," Patricia Wortley, chair of the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board (OCTSAB), said.
Even if you don't see a police car while you're passing a stopped school bus, it does not mean that your disregard of the law went unnoticed, Wortley said. Several buses are equipped with cameras that can record the incident.
"If you pass a stopped school bus, you put the students in danger. Law enforcement will also be following buses and issuing tickets to [those drivers] passing stopped school buses," Wortley said.
She cites the governor's traffic safety committee as indicating 50,000 cars pass school buses on any given day in New York State, a figure she described as "overwhelming."
AAA of Western and Central New York calls it the ABCs of safety: Avoid distractions, Brake for school buses, and Check for pedestrians.
Wortley spoke as AAA WCNY launched its School's Open, Drive Carefully campaign to help reduce school-related pedestrian injuries and fatalities. It's a public-awareness campaign that AAA has offered since 1946. Eight decades later, that mission "remains as important as ever," the organization said in its announcement.
With school buses headed back on the roads, commuters should give themselves extra time in coming weeks and be prepared for bus traffic. Drivers should also be patient with less experienced student drivers returning to high school and college, AAA noted.
The law about not passing a stopped school bus wasn't the only message provided during the AAA event.
Sgt. James Dean with the Town of DeWitt Police Department says distracted driving continues to be a leading cause of car crashes.
"Put the phone away and stay focused on the road. A text message, a notification, an email is never important and can always wait. No text or notification is worth a life," Dean said.
In her remarks, Wortley also noted that school zone speed limits will be in effect on school days, generally from 7 a.m. and to 6 p.m. Police will be monitoring school speed zones and issuing warnings and issuing tickets for speeding in a school zone, she added.
“With constant distractions behind the wheel and today’s drivers always in a rush, it’s more imperative than ever to get the safety message out as summer winds down and a new school year awaits,” Marke Dickinson, president and CEO of AAA Western and Central New York, said in the announcement.
