BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (MOCOBIZSCENE) – The roads are busier than ever now that school is back after a long summer break. It’s a common sight to see buses and parents out in numbers trying to get little ones where they need to be. In light of this, state troopers are sharing a warning.
Alabama Law Enforcement Trooper Justin O’Neal stresses the importance of packing your patience and understanding that there are things far more important in life than your meeting.
“I would rather you be five minutes late to your meeting than have to go out to a scene where an innocent child got hit,” he says.
Part of ensuring that kids stay safe while trying to get to school is noticing the lights and warning signs on the hard-to-miss big yellow buses.
“School buses are there for the safety of the children. When their lights are flashing, when those stop signs are out, that means do not pass that bus,” notes Trooper O’Neal.
In today’s world, school buses can stop just about anywhere to pick up or drop off students, including major and busy thoroughfares.
“When a school bus is stopped on a four-lane highway, all traffic must stop if there is not a divider in the middle,” he adds.
Passing a bus when the stop sign is out endangers not only your life but also the lives of young students. It is an act that won’t result in a warning.
“Troopers out here on the road won’t cut any breaks if anyone passes a stopped school bus trying to let kids on or off the bus,” warns Trooper O’Neal.
If you are foolish or reckless enough to pass a parked school bus when the stop sign is out, troopers can give you up to a $300 ticket.
Remember, your meeting can wait, but the safety of the children cannot.
