With National School Bus Safety Week underway, the California Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to stop for the carriers of the most precious cargo.
Running Oct. 17-21, the week is meant to bring awareness to the personal responsibility involved in ensuring students make it to and from school safely.
“School bus safety is part of the CHP’s mission,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “This week is a reminder that everyone should do their part each day to remain alert behind the wheel, particularly when you see a school bus or children at bus stops.”
Motorists in California are required to stop when a school bus turns its flashing red lights on.
And bus drivers are supposed to keep those lights blinking until the kids have made it out of the roadway.
Across the state, 50,000 certified school bus drivers transport more than a million students about 244 million miles a year.
Meanwhile the CHP is in charge of inspecting more than 20,000 school buses annually and has ramped up enforcement of drivers who flaunt the law and pass busses when they aren’t supposed to.
Last year, 218 motorists were written up during the Vehicles Illegally Passing a School Bus (VIPS) operation.
For non-emergency complaints, contact your local CHP Area office at chp.ca.gov/find-an-office or call 1-800-TELL-CHP.
