STATE COLLEGE – PennDOT joined with representatives from the State College Police Department and State College Area School District as a reminder that school bus safety is everyone’s job. The agencies came together to recognize National School Bus Safety Week, which runs through Oct. 21.
State College Police will participate through “Operation Safe Stop,” a nationwide enforcement event aimed at catching those who violate the state’s School Bus Stopping Law.
“Operation Safe Stop” is held annually in conjunction with National School Bus Safety Week. Police will be enforcing the state’s laws in relation to school buses by either riding on buses or following behind in a patrol car. When possible, school bus drivers will also report violators.
In Pennsylvania, motorists are required to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended. Motorists must stop whether they are behind the bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. Vehicles must remain stopped until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn and all children have reached safety. Drivers who encounter a school bus stopping on the opposite side of a divided highway are not required to stop.
For more information about school bus safety, visit PennDOT’s highway safety Web site and select “Traffic Safety Information Center,” then “School Bus Safety.”