(Center Square) – Arizona motorists endanger children’s safety and result in $250 fines approximately 13,000 times each grade.
State and local officials are urging Arizonaans to closely monitor school buses picking up and dropping off children as schools reopen.
Public school buses in Arizona are equipped with retractable stop signs, which are often illuminated when you leave. This is a clear warning to drivers not to overtake buses when picking up or dropping off children.
The Arizona Department of Transportation estimates that motorists ignore the sign about 13,000 times a year.
“School buses are back on our roads, and it is imperative that drivers are aware of and follow the laws regarding these buses and their valuable cargo,” said Graham County Schools Superintendent Donna McGaughey. said. “Whether driving to a stopped bus or following a bus, the driver should stop until the bus starts moving again or the flashing lights and stop signs stop flashing. You have to. Pay attention!”
ADOT has streamlined the process for bus drivers to report stop arm violators. Instead of faxing a form to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the driver can simply fill out his form online at ADOT’s Automotive Division. The department will send a warning to the driver.
“Often the reports were hard to read and DPS was left in the middle,” said MVD Senior Division Administrator Susan Trask in an Aug. 22 ADOT blog post. She said, “We have created an online form that the bus driver can easily fill out electronically and send directly to her MVD. .”
Since the law took effect in 2013, drivers ticketed for passing a school bus with its stop arms extended face a fine of $250 for the first offense. If he commits a second offense within three years, he will be fined $750 and will be unlicensed for up to six months.
