Especially during the holiday season, we sometimes feel the need to rush around to make trips to the store, post office, school, work and community events in order to experience the most we can during the end of the year. Distractions are endless — texting, phone calls, emails, social media and even one’s own thoughts — and it’s often difficult to take a step back and really be in the moment.
No matter the season, being in the moment while driving is crucial. Whether you are in a rush to get somewhere or are distracted by something, there is never an excuse for passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop sign extended.
Recently, the New York Association of Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), found that in the 32 school districts that participated in their survey on Nov. 20, 1,086 school bus drivers reported they were passed a total of 883 times, including 32 passes on the passenger (or right) side of the school bus. When this rate is applied to over 50,000 school buses that operate on a daily basis in New York state, the total estimated illegal passing rate is 40,654 passes for that day with 1,479 motorists estimated to pass on the right.
When you think about the possibility of accidents that can severely hurt or even kill students who are getting off the bus, this rate of illegal passing is an alarming statistic. Children are taught to look both ways both before they get off the bus and cross, and drivers are taught to be vigilant while crossing their students. The fact is, motorists need to be held accountable for their own actions and need to pay attention while behind the wheel.
If you need to be somewhere at a certain time, leave five minutes early. Plan to put your phone away so you are not tempted to use it while driving. The weather also makes it easy to drive distractedly, and more time is needed to make stops when the road are slushy, so keep that in mind when driving this winter.
It’s so easy to check your phone or decided wherever you need to be can’t wait another moment and drive by a stopped school bus, but what isn’t easy is dealing with the consequences of hurting or killing a child or teen. Remember to pay attention on the road for the safety of our students.
