It’s “School Bus Safety Week” in Iowa and school and law enforcement officials are asking motorists to pay attention to safety around the big yellow vehicles.
Webster City schools transportation director Ted Larson says the week helps recognize the drivers while reminding motorists of the important cargo they contain.
“It’s just bringing awareness to the public, the job that our bus drivers do, which is a tremendous job,” he says, “keeping everybody safe on the buses as well as at our bus stops and making sure they get on the bus safe and follow the rules of the bus and get delivered to school safely.”
The theme of this year’s week is “Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm.” Larson says motorists do occasionally drive through when the red stop sign is out on buses.
“You know, it’s a $180 fine if they should get caught doing that which, you know, our bus drivers…try to get a license plate number and turn that information over to the local police and then they’ll follow up on it,” he says. “…As we get going in the winter months here, the daylight gets shorter so we’ve just all got to be aware that we’ve got kids coming to bus stops.”
Larson says drivers work with the kids to avoid any problems on board the buses and the expectations on the bus are not much different than those in a classroom, as they have to be sure everyone stays seated and follows the rules.
There is more information about bus safety on-line at: www.napt.org.
(Story contributed by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)