St Stephen Bus Company Reports 3 Stop Arm Violations Wednesday Morning

It's pretty hard to NOT see a school bus. They are made to be seen, from the yellow paint, the flashing lights, and a stop sign that is deployed with lights, not to mention their size! But all of that doesn't seem to stop motorists from driving past a bus with its lights on and stop sign out. Yesterday morning Trobec's Bus Service in St Stephen posted about 3 stop arm violations, and that it was submitting for a grant to help deter motorists from blowing by their buses, and putting children's lives in danger. The grant would help pay for cameras to photograph the violator's license plate.

The post from Trobec's Bus Service states:

We submitted our application this morning for the stop arm grant. We have had 3 stop arm violations alone this morning, and the bus drivers have been unable to capture any information from the violators because the cars were moving so fast.

We are thankful that the state saw the safety concern for our children and did something about it to help offset the cost for private companies as well as school districts.

With these cameras, there will be no question about who or what vehicle broke the law. It will be captured and immediately sent to law enforcement.

Drivers that fail to stop for a bus with its lights flashing and stop arm out face a fine of up to $500 for violating Minnesota statute 169.444

When a school bus is stopped on a street or highway, or other location where signs have been erected under section 169.443, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and is displaying an extended stop-signal arm and flashing red lights, the driver of a vehicle approaching the bus shall stop the vehicle at least 20 feet away from the bus. The vehicle driver shall not allow the vehicle to move until the school bus stop-signal arm is retracted and the red lights are no longer flashing.

A person who fails to stop a vehicle or to keep it stopped, as required in subdivision 1, or who violates subdivision 1a, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500.

So do us all, and our kids a favor and pay attention to school buses and stop for our kids.