Date: Fri 11-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-bus-safety

Full Text:

School Bus Safety - Flashing Red Lights Mean Stop!

Monday morning rush hour: Cars dropping off students at Newtown Middle School

must stop at least 10 feet behind any school bus that is showing a stop sign

extended and has red lights flashing.

-Bee Photos, Evans

Transportation Director Mary Kelly gives Newtown police officer David Lydem an

"Operation Safe Stop" button for the statewide safety day that was held

Thursday, April 3.

Mrs Kelly and Officer Joe Joudy get ready to monitor the Newtown Middle School

parking lot.

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Here's a scenario that most parents of young children may find all too

familiar.

It's 8:15 am on a not-so-typical Monday morning. Your seventh grader was up

late last night doing the homework he should have done Saturday morning. As a

result, he overslept. He didn't have time for breakfast, and he missed his

bus, so you're driving him to school.

Driving him to school means you'll be late for work. You're upset and you're

in a hurry. Pulling into the Newtown Middle School parking lot, you drive

around the turn at the bottom and pass by several parked school buses,

intending to drop him off at the top of the drive, so he can run inside to his

A-wing homeroom.

Wrong.

Those flashing red lights are telling you something important and you could

get a $450 fine for failing to obey them - even in the school parking lot.

Furthermore, if a child were ever to run out in front of your vehicle as you

were driving by, the consequences might be a great deal worse.

Newtown Transportation Director Mary Kelly wants motorists to think seriously

about this possible scenario and to change their behavior, if necessary.

While organizing the second annual "Operation Safe Stop Day," sponsored in

cooperation with the Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA),

Mrs Kelly has been talking to Newtown police officers to gain support for the

statewide effort. Patrolman David Lydem met with Mrs Kelly Wednesday, April 2,

to help plan the "Safe Stop" event that was scheduled for Thursday, April 3.

"Parents aren't getting the message. Out on the road, it's one thing. But in

the parking lot, they don't think it's part of the law," Officer Lydem said.

To raise awareness, the Newtown police planned to post cruisers throughout

town in cooperation with the school bus drivers, reminding motorists to obey

the following rule regarding school bus safety:

If a school bus has stopped with its driver's side Stop sign extended and its

front and back lights flashing red, oncoming motorists as well as motorists

approaching from behind must remain stopped until the lights are turned off

and the sign is retracted. Under NO circumstances should a motorist ever pass

a school bus when the red lights are flashing - not even in a school parking

lot.

These are basic safety rules that most people know, Mrs Kelly said, but

"sometimes they're in a hurry and they forget."

The town's most likely trouble spots would be under police observation April

3, Mrs Kelly said, and tickets would be issued to anyone violating the school

bus safety law.

Mrs Kelly and Officer Lydem noted where those most dangerous places were: Main

Street near the flagpole area; Route 34/Berkshire Road at Johnny Appleseed

Drive; all along Route 6/Mount Pleasant Road where there are hills and curves;

and Toddy Hill Road at the intersections with Vining Road and Sugar Loaf Road.

By state law, if a bus driver observes a motorist passing illegally, he may

note the license plate, color and type of the vehicle, also recording the

date, time and location of the infraction, and issue a written report to the

police department.

The police will then issue a written warning or a summons to the owner of any

such vehicle (Section 14-279 of state statutes relating to motor vehicles).

"We don't make many arrests, but the number stays constant - about 10 to 15

each year," said Officer Lydem.

Newtown has approximately 4,100 students riding 23 regular buses and nine

"type two" (smaller) buses, Mrs Kelly said. In a town as big as this, "there

were a lot of miles and a lot of stops for bus drivers to make," she added.

In the event of "cross-overs," where students must cross in front of the bus

to reach their home or driveway, extra precautions are taken, she said.

"Our drivers are taught to make eye contact with the students, not to let them

cross until all cars are stopped. Then they will nod, saying it's OK to go. If

the drivers feel a certain crossing is too dangerous, they'll mention it to

me," Mrs Kelly said.

"Our bus drivers are very cautious. But you can never over-emphasize safety."