Pittsburgh Public Schools school bus safety pilot program begins today
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Drivers, be on the lookout as a new program to improve school bus safety begins today.
Safety for school children is obviously paramount to every school district and now in Pittsburgh, a new program will aim to keep students on the bus safer from motorists who don't stop when the bus stops.
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Many of us know that when a bus stops to pick up or drop a student off, it is the law that the motorists around the bus stop must stop and wait for students to come and go, but in recent years, some cars have not been waiting.
Steve Randazzo of Bus Patrol, says this is largely due to distracted driving which is on the rise around the country and that says has led to a lot of poor driving.
"What we have seen over time is frankly a disrespect and disregarding of the school bus and the thing is it is big and yellow," he said. "It is designed to be seen and most importantly of all, it is designed to safeguard our most precious cargo, our children."
Now, the new program will help make the rides to and from school safer.
Over 150 Pittsburgh Public School buses are now equipped with stop arm cameras to help communities enforce school bus stopping laws.
"Our efforts to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of our students is multifaceted and require the commitment of the entire community," said Dr. Wayne N. Walters, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. "The upgrades we have made to our bus fleet at no cost to taxpayers will help end the reckless driving habits putting the lives of our students at risk as they enter and exit the school bus."
These cameras have been installed at no cost to taxpayers, as Dr. Walters said, and will capture the license plate number of vehicles that commit traffic violations against buses.
"What they are able to do is very intelligently, detect whether a car has broken Pennsylvania state law with respect to stopped school buses," Randazzo said. "They analyze the road and detect those illegal violations. And then, they transmit those violations over to law enforcement."
Tickets will be issued and the first violation will cost $300.
Drivers, remember - if you see a school bus stopping with its arm out: 10 feet of distance on either side is what the law requires.
The program will last until July 3 and there's a good chance it resumes this fall.