The 2019-2020 school year is already underway in some districts and other students head back very soon. And Delaware State Police (DSP) are reminding people how to make it a safe year for everyone.
One thing State Police emphasize each year is that motorists be extra cognizant of students walking or biking to school.
“Especially in school zones, paying attention to children crossing the street. And then as well - school bus safety; we have more buses on the roadways and we want to be sure that motorists are paying extra attention to when those buses are slowing and stopping and making sure you give plenty of time of space to other motorists who may also be stopped for those buses," said Sr. Cpl. Juanita Huey, who works in the Community Outreach Unit of the DSP.
She says thousands of kids ride a school bus every day and it’s important for motorists to be aware of the rules of the road concerning buses.
“I get it - people are in a rush; they’re also going to work and not knowing the new bus routes, especially at the beginning of the year, has a different impact on their travel time," said Huey. "So as school is starting, it is important to maybe give yourself a little extra time to travel to work so you don’t have these incidents where you’re worried about getting stuck behind a school bus that’s going to be making multiple stops.”
She says she cannot stress enough that it is against the law to pass a stopped school bus, and that means paying attention when its amber lights are flashing.
“That’s indicative to us as other motorists that they’re going to be slowing and coming to a stop for a child in the area. So that’s really important; that child may not be right at that bus stop," said Huey. "So we want to be extra cautious that the child might be running up to the street. So we want to start looking around for that and start slowing our travel.
Huey says anyone convicted of passing a stopped school bus can be fined up to $230 for a first offense and as much as $575 for a second offense, and their license will be suspended for between one and 12 months.
