Chinook’s Edge School Division school is capturing a lot of motorists on video ignoring the red flashing stop lights on buses.
Between Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, a total of 43 drivers were video taped driving illegally through flashing bus lights.
Transportation director Corinne Varga said one afternoon three infractions were caught on camera on a single route.
“We’ve had the same issue for many years now. If we can save one child, (the cameras) are worth it,” Varga said.
Chinook’s Edge runs over 115 bus routes each school day and more than 3,000 students rely on school buses in the rural school jurisdiction.
A system of cameras and digital radios with GPS were installed on all Chinook’s Edge school buses over the summer for safety and insurance purposes. A report and video is passed along to local police when infractions occur.
The fine for failing to stop when the red lights on a bus are flashing is $543, and six demerit points.
She said infractions happen in both the small communities and rural areas where the buses run. Every school division deals with “fly-bys.”
“I kind of wonder what people are thinking. The cameras are definitely a blessing to a lot of drivers,” Varga said.
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On an undivided highway, alternating red lights will begin flashing when the school bus stops to let students on or off. A stop sign will also be extended from the left side of the bus.
Motorists must remain stopped until the alternating flashing red lights are turned off and the stop sign on the driver’s side is no longer extended.
On a highway divided by a median, motorists may proceed with caution when a school bus has its alternating amber or red lights flashing.
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Betty Clark, transportation manager with Wolf Creek Public Schools, said drivers who ignore flashing bus lights are an ongoing problem.
“We see a lot of it and it is so alarming and so dangerous,” Clark said.
She said infractions occur mostly in urban areas and on secondary highways. They also tend to happen more often in the spring and fall.
“The weather has caused drivers to slow down slightly. I hope that trend continues.”
Close to 50 per cent of Wolf Creek students ride the school bus and the rural division runs 79 regular routes each school day.
Clark said some of its buses have cameras and Wolf Creek is working towards installing more.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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