School bus safety a concern for area police

Archive for Thursday, November 30, 2000

November 30, 2000

Edwardsville police plan to keep a close eye on drivers who don't obey school bus traffic laws.

The city has been receiving several complaints from residents about drivers ignoring the stop sign attached to the buses passing stopped busses when children are getting on and off.

A problem area in the city has been at South Fourth and High streets, Police Chief John Ellison said.

"We are trying to let everyone know vehicles are required to stop when buses are stopped with warning lights and stop signs in use," Ellison said.

There have also been complaints from residents in other areas of the city, police say.

A mother said her child had almost been struck twice by drivers disregarding school bus warning signals at Fourth Street and K-32 Highway, Councilwoman Betty Waldo said during Monday's Edwardsville City Council meeting.

"It's a dangerous situation," she said.

Other city council members agreed and thought police should step up surveillance of school bus stops. They also agreed residents should be made aware of the problem.

Although Ellison will have patrol officers keeping an eye on those areas, police are asking drivers to remember the law and drive safely when approaching stopped school buses.

Kansas law requires vehicles to stop on any two-way street or highway when school buses are legally stopped and displaying red loading lights and when the stop signal arm attached to the side of the bus is extended.

All vehicles that are required to stop must remain stopped until the bus's red lights are turned off and the stop arm is retracted.

Only a five-foot wide, unpaved median or a physical barrier provides the separation needed to permit vehicles traveling in the opposite direction of the school bus to continue without stopping.

Vehicles traveling in either direction on any type of road do not have to stop for a school bus displaying yellow flashing lights. The yellow lights are used as warnings that a stop will occur very shortly.

Vehicles going in the same direction must always stop for a legally stopped school bus displaying flashing red or yellow lights and extended stop arms. There are no exceptions to the rule.