How to keep kids safe at school buses

Stopped school bus in Hempstead on the the corner of Fulton Ave and Warner Ave. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
It was noted that 70% of school bus camera tickets involve stops where students don’t cross when getting on or off the bus [“ ‘They did not have the authority,’ ” News, Jan. 26]. As a bus driver for 21 years, I see this statistic as irrelevant.
The law is clear: When a school bus has its stop sign extended, all vehicles must stop — no exceptions.
The real concern is not just drivers passing the bus on the left but also those going around it on the right, where students are loading or unloading.
I’ve seen too many car drivers who are impatient, distracted, and reckless. If fines were issued to such drivers, the government would profit handsomely.
School districts benefit from bus external cameras, which reduce liability by recording safe driving, as well as internal cameras that ensure student safety. These cameras protect drivers from false accusations and enhance security.
The goal is simple: to protect students and prevent tragic accidents. Drivers who ignore stop signs of a big, yellow school bus with flashing lights are putting lives at risk.
A student’s safety should never be compromised.
— Pete Scott, Centerport
While I agree with the deployment of cameras and punitive fines for violators of bus stop signs, it is important for parents and bus drivers to educate children to exit and cross safely, if needed.
Earlier this month, I was traveling behind a school bus unloading children and witnessed at least three stops where the children excitedly hopped off the bus to their awaiting caregivers. None of the children or parents looked both ways to ensure safety in a large bike lane shoulder to the right of the bus.
Obviously, the onus lies with car drivers and cyclists to be vigilant, but we all must train children to be alert as well. Parents should advise their children to look both ways before hopping off, and bus drivers could advise exiting kids, “Have a great day, and look both ways!”
I think we all want the same thing: safety for the children.
— Carlyn Casey, Westhampton
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