Law enforcement from across St. Lawrence County will participate in Operation Safe Stop April 21 in an effort to crack down on illegal passing of school buses.

Every day thousands of children in New York are put at risk by motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses.

That’s what school transportation officials are documenting through monthly surveys along state-wide bus routes. The New York State Association of Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), the agency conducting the surveys, estimates that the number of illegal passes ranges from over 19,000 to more than 32,000 per day.

What is worse is that these include hundreds of motorists who pass on the right side. That is why the St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program is joining with state and local agencies for “Operation Safe Stop,” an education and enforcement initiative that promotes school bus safety.

The St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Program is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through a grant from the NY Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

This year Operation Safe Stop takes place during a week of bus safety activities.

Although yellow school buses are by far the safest transportation to school, there are still children being injured or killed when motorists disregard the law.

During “Safe Stop” enforcement, police officers dedicate patrols along bus routes that have had problems with illegal passing. The enforcement monitors these and other routes for violations of Section 1174 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, that is, failure to stop for a school bus with its red lights flashing.

Officers also monitor other driver behavior that puts children at risk—such as distracted driving, speeding in zone, and failure to stop for pedestrians.

It is illegal - and very dangerous - to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on top of the bus are flashing. Flashing lights mean the bus is picking up or discharging students. Bus drivers are required to leave their red lights on until the passenger is 15 feet away from the bus and/or roadway. Small school buses keep their lights activated while they are fastening young children in child restraints, and those buses must remain stationary until all the children are properly restrained.

The law says you must stop whether you are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear. This is true even on multi-lane highways, in parking lots, and on school grounds. The only exception to this law is if the bus driver or a police officer signals that you may pass the bus.

Currently, the first-time penalty for illegally passing a school bus is a $250 to $400 fine, 5 points on your license, and/or possibly 30 days in jail. Penalties increase for subsequent violations of the law. NYAPT is urging the state to allow the use of STOP ARM cameras to obtain evidence for prosecuting motorists who pass buses illegally. They also advocate for increased penalties for offenders.