SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS IN SIOUX CITY ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN MOTORISTS IGNORING THE DISTRICT’S SCHOOL BUS STOP ARMS THIS YEAR.
THOSE STOP ARMS ARE SAFETY DEVICES THAT PROTECT STUDENTS FROM BEING STRUCK WHILE GETTING ON AND OFF A SCHOOL BUS, AND BY LAW, MOTORISTS MUST STOP WHILE THOSE ARMS ARE EXTENDED.
CHRIS WELLENSTEIN, TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR FOR THE SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, SAYS DRIVERS WHO RUN THE SCHOOL BUS STOP SIGN WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND TICKETED:
SBUS1 OC……..FROM THE BUS. :18
THE VIDEO ALLOWS THE DISTRICT TO OBTAIN THE LICENSE PLATE, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR, AND SOMETIMES A VIEW OF THE DRIVER.
THAT INFORMATION IS TURNED OVER TO CITY POLICE FOR REVIEW AND A POSSIBLE COSTLY CITATION:
SBUS2 OC……..IN A STOP ARM VIOLATION. :20
WELLENSTEIN SAYS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS SEEN AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF DRIVERS IGNORING THE SIGNS THIS YEAR:
SBUS3 OC………OVER AND OVER. :14
THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS TURN ON THEIR FOUR WAY FLASHERS AS THEY PREPARE TO STOP, AND THEN ONCE THE STOP SIGN IS EXTENDED ARE CHECKING FOR TRAFFIC BEFORE LETTING KIDS OFF THE BUS.
WELLENSTEIN SAYS MOTORISTS ARE PLACING STUDENTS IN DANGER WHEN THEY IGNORE THE STOP SIGN AND PASS THE STOPPED SCHOOL BUS.
A DRIVER CITED A SECOND TIME FOR THAT VIOLATION WILL HAVE THEIR LICENSE SUSPENDED AND HAVE TO TAKE CLASSES TO GET IT BACK.
