As the new school year gets underway, Pennsylvania State Police are reminding motorists to be alert for the bright yellow buses, pedestrians and gatherings at bus stops.
Motorists may have become used to fewer school buses on highways in the 2020-21 school year, when many districts adopted remote instruction because of the coronavirus pandemic, Troop A spokesman Trooper Stephen Limani said.
“I recall there was a certain amount of time last year when there were no buses traveling on the roadways locally. With that being said, motorists should be aware that in the next couple of weeks, we’re going to have most of our schools back in session,” Limani said. “We’d like to remind drivers to be careful and allow a little extra travel time during morning and afternoon commutes.”
Among area school district resuming in-class instruction next week include Franklin Regional on Monday and Tuesday; Greensburg Central Catholic on Wednesday and Hempfield, Jeannette, Kiski Area and Penn Trafford school districts on Thursday.
One of the most common traffic violations troopers encounter are when motorists meet or overtake school buses. The law requires that drivers must stop at least 10 feet away from a stopped school bus — with stop arm extended and red lights flashing — whether approaching from behind or from the opposite direction, Limani said.
The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection where a school bus is stopped should stop their vehicle at that intersection until the flashing red signal lights are turned off.
Penalties for these types of violations include a $250 fine, a 60-day driver’s license suspension and 5 points on the motorist’s driving record.
If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes of travel can proceed without stopping.
“The last thing we want to do is give a motorist a reminder in the form of a citation. We just want to make sure motorists are in compliance and all of our children are arriving at school safely,” Limani said.
When it comes to school bus infractions, police do not have to witness a violation.
“Just because you don’t see a police officer sitting there, don’t think a school bus driver can’t initiate a citation. In fact, a school bus driver is among the only professionals who can initiate a citation without a police officer being there,” Limani said.
On Friday, Trooper David Vinkler gave an inspection demonstration at the DMJ Transportation bus garage in Mt. Pleasant Township. He is one of the troopers who perform bus safety inspections throughout Troop A’s jurisdictions in Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties.
In addition to Mt. Pleasant Area School District, DMJ provides bus services in the Greater Latrobe and Greensburg-Salem school districts.
Vinkler said annual bus inspections began in June, after the completion of the previous school year. The inspections continue through August, though there are surprise inspections throughout the year.
“The infractions could be anything as minor as the broom not being secured inside the bus, to a rip in a seat or a seat not being secure,” said Vinkler, who has inspected buses for five years.
Inspectors also check brakes, emergency doors, exterior crossing bars, fire extinguishers, shocks and tire treads, he added.
“It’s very important a parent understands the work that goes in each year before a child gets on a school bus to make sure the bus is in working order,” Limani said.
Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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August 22, 2021 at 11:01AM
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