Salinas Police Department Reminds Drivers to Always Stop for School Buses during National School Bus Safety Week

Release Date/Time: 10/19/2021 12:16 PM
Incident:Salinas Police Department Reminds Drivers to Always Stop for School Buses during National School Bus Safety Week
Date: Tuesday, 10/19/2021
Time: 12:16 PM
Location:City of Salinas

As part of National School Bus Safety Week Oct. 18-22, Salinas Police Department supports efforts throughout the state to encourage drivers to always stop for school buses for the safety of children.

Held annually during the third week of October, National School Bus Safety Week is a way for parents, children, teachers, bus drivers, school administrators and law enforcement to promote traveling to and from school by bus as a safe transportation option. This year's theme is "1 Bus + 1 Driver = a BIG Impact on Education."

While riding the bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, an alarming number of drivers illegally pass school buses who have their red lights activated. From October 2017 to October 2019, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) cited nearly 1,200 drivers for illegally passing a school bus during school zone safety operations.

During National School Bus Safety Week, Salinas Police Department will have additional officers patrolling bus routes looking for drivers who do not stop for flashing red school bus lights.

When a school bus flashes its red lights (located at the top front and back of the bus), drivers in both directions must stop until the children are safely across the street and the lights stop flashing. If a bus is on the other side of a divided street or street with two or more lanes in each direction, drivers do not need to stop but should slow down and look for children.

"There is no justification for passing a stopped school bus," Salinas Police Department. Public Information Officer, Miguel Cabrera said. "It's a minor minute or two of inconvenience that helps protect children. All drivers should look out for students in school zones."

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Release Authorized by:Miguel Cabrera
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