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Illegal school bus passing called serious problem

Charleston Daily Mail photo by Craig Cunningham Each school bus in Kanawha County is outfitted with several cameras to monitor student safety. Two cameras, one inside the bus and one mounted underneath the stop sign, help catch violators by taking a picture of their license plate, which can be used as evidence in magistrate’s court. Violations often result in a citation for reckless driving.
Charleston Daily Mail photo by Craig Cunningham
Each school bus in Kanawha County is outfitted with several cameras to monitor student safety. Two cameras, one inside the bus and one mounted underneath the stop sign, help catch violators by taking a picture of their license plate, which can be used as evidence in magistrate’s court. Violations often result in a citation for reckless driving.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite flashing lights and stop signs warning drivers to keep a distance, about 500 motorists illegally pass school buses each day in West Virginia, a survey conducted by the state Department of Education has found.

While that number seems high to Jimmy Lacy, transportation safety director for Kanawha County, he said illegal passing happens every day.

“I don’t know if people are in a hurry or they’re distracted,” he said. “But it’s a problem.”

Kanawha County bus drivers participated in the survey this past spring. Lacy said the drivers reported about 20 violations daily.

When asked what he considered to be illegal passing, Lacy said it is any time a motorist passes a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers.

The problem is exacerbated by negligent motorists who use cellphones while driving. Despite recent legislation prohibiting the use of hand-held devices while driving, Lacy said bus drivers frequently report seeing violations on their routes.

Because of this, motorists might not see the color-coded lighting system that lets people know when the driver is about to make a stop and when children are boarding or leaving the bus. Each bus also has a flashing stop sign on the left as a last reminder not to pass.

Because bus drivers can’t control other drivers on the road, a big part of ensuring students are safe involves monitoring traffic at each stop. Bus drivers also instruct students not to cross the road until they are signaled to do so.

Pat Mosley, transportation supervisor at the South Charleston bus garage, said illegal passing happens more frequently when school starts as motorists adjust to sharing the road with buses again.

Mosley, a former Kanawha County bus driver, said she can’t think of an instance when it is acceptable or safe to pass a school bus, even if there is an emergency.

“Life happens,” she said. “I understand that, but is the emergency you’re in worth having jail time because you passed a bus or you hit a parent or kid…

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