Sandy Springs police, frustrated with drivers who speed past stopped school buses in violation of state law, are planning to do something about it.
“People have forgotten how crucial it is to stop for these buses,” Sandy Spring police Lt. Steve Rose told the AJC on Tuesday. "Sometimes the kids -- especially the little ones -- jump off these buses and dart across the road. It’s not too much to ask [drivers to stop for a few moments]," he said. "Just sit and listen to your i-Pod.”
Next week, Sandy Springs will step up its enforcement efforts, though the department is still working on specifics. At the very least, patrol cars will follow buses or park near stops. Sandy Springs may also assign officers to ride on certain buses and radio in tag numbers of those that blow past, but that is still being discussed with school resource officers.
“We’ve just seen an increase in complaints of people just blatantly running [past stopped buses],” Rose said.
State law requires cars to stop when a school bus is pulled over and the arm with a stop sign is extended, even those going in the opposite direction on multilane roads. The only exception is on divided highways, where only cars traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop.
Drivers can be fined $500 and have six points added to their driving record if they keep going past stopped school buses.
“We don’t want to have a tragedy,” Rose said.
On Tuesday, the Georgia House approved legislation giving law enforcement officers more tools for ticketing those who don't stop for school buses.
The proposed law would allow video cameras on buses for the explicit purpose of catching motorists who pass illegally. Since the bill is different from one approved by the Senate, it must go back to senators for another vote.
If the bill becomes law, law enforcement can review video taken from buses and mail tickets to motorists who didn’t stop.
About the Author
