Police See Increase in Motorist School Bus Violations

Ferguson Township Police recently reported a sharp increase in school bus violations, in which motorists meet or overtake a school bus when red signals are flashing.

In the State College area those violations nearly doubled from 49 in 2015-16 to 97 in 2016-17. Police also said they’ve seen an increase in distracted driving.

Sgt. Ryan Hendrick said that since State College Area School District equipped all buses with security cameras that can capture the violations, drivers have felt more confident about reporting them.

The state’s school bus violation law requires drivers to stop at least 10 feet from the bus when the red signal lights are flashing. Drivers are not allowed to proceed until the flashing red lights are off and children have reached safety.

Penalties are a $500 fine and 60-day license suspension.

‘I think the biggest thing is this is a responsibility not only for law enforcement but for adults,’ Hendrick said. ‘We need to allow more time to get to work. We need to slow down. And we need to make the kids in our community the priority.’

Centre County Report’s Taylor Rambo has more with Hendrick and bus driver Fred Wilson.

This video is produced by and for Centre County Report and shared through a partnership with StateCollege.com.