It’s that time of year again for sharpened pencils, blank notebooks, new bookbags and meet the teacher nights. Tomorrow is the first day of school of the 2017-2018 school year for the Manatee County public schools, and Monday, school begins for Sarasota County kids. Consequently, there will be more school buses on the roads.
My daughter – newly seven years old and with a freshly lost first(!) tooth – is entering second grade this year in Palmetto. She will be one of thousands of area children on those buses in the morning. It is critical to know and follow the laws pertaining to school buses to keep kids like her safe on their way to and from school.
The buses are big, bright and hard to miss, yet the American School Bus Council reports that an estimated 10 million drivers illegally pass school buses each year. Remember: If the red lights are flashing and the STOP arm is out, you must stop. Just because you don’t see the children doesn’t mean you can pass the bus.
In Florida, there are stiff penalties if you violate the school bus safety laws. Although passing on either side of the bus is unsafe and illegal, the ramifications are higher if passing on the right side because this is the side that the children enter and exit the bus. Violators of the laws are required to attend and complete a basic driver improvement course. In addition, according to I Drive Safely, fines and potential suspensions are steep:
STOP arm cameras are in use by many school districts in the United States. The cameras have been effective in enforcing – and therefore reducing – the illegal passage of school buses. The National Coalition for Safer Roads cites a 15 percent decrease in violations in the 2013-2014 school year per school bus stop arm camera on routes where the safety cameras were installed.
The National Congress on School Transportation advises that motorists keep a 10-foot radius between themselves and all sides of the school bus. When the STOP arm is out and red lights are flashing, motorists should maintain a 25-foot distance from the school bus. In general, use extreme caution when traveling near a school bus and when the flashing yellow lights go on.
Here are some tips – and a helpful graphic – from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website:
If a child, driver, or passerby is injured in a school bus accident, the injured victims might have the right to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Making the decision to file a personal injury lawsuit is, almost without exception, a very difficult and highly personal choice. At Luhrsen Goldberg, our goal is to use our extensive legal experience to make things easier for you, whether it’s evaluating your case, negotiating a settlement or pursuing litigation. Contact us for a free consultation.
Firm administrator Kristin Wolfrum has an interest in researching and sharing information pertaining to safety and public awareness. A former newspaper journalist, she enjoys writing blog posts for the Luhrsen Goldberg site and hopes that information in them helps educate (and, at times, entertain) others. Her role at the firm includes administrative and marketing aspects, and she’s a member of the Sarasota Manatee Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. She is grateful to work with a team of experienced, dedicated professionals committed to the firm’s clients.
