Oneida County Sheriff’s Office members, like Sgt. Carey Phair, monitor bus routes as much as they can.
“We do it when we have the resources to do it,” Phair said.
According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus when the red lights on top of the bus are flashing. You must stop whether you are approaching the bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear. And you must stop for flashing red lights, even on school grounds, and on divided and multi-lane highways.
“Whether it’s a single two-lane road like this or a four-lane road or a divided highway, you still have to stop on the other side,” Phair said.
Sgt. Phair said kids are our future, and to protect them, drivers should follow laws.
“I think people should be more concerned about the safety of the kids on the bus than whether or not a police officer is following the bus,” he said.
However, with today’s technology, a law enforcement officer doesn’t have to catch a driver in the act.
Cameras will.
“As a car drives by, that’s at the right level, at the right capturing speed, to capture a license plate number of that vehicle,” said Andy Kirk, the Whitesboro Central School District’s transportation supervisor.
“This is my 16th year here at Whitesboro,” Kirk said. “I’ve been in the business for 30 years. The exciting thing is to see technology like that be imported into the bus industry so that we can identify hazards.”
Whitesboro’s new buses can identify hazards from nearly every angle.
Kirk said the cameras have been helpful in investigations. He said bus drivers have pride knowing they’re doing all they can to keep kids safe.
“Not only are they highly trained, but you have the opportunity for state-of-the-art equipment like that,” said Kirk. “It’s just another tool they can use to keep students safe so it’s a nice plan.”
There are serious consequences for illegally passing a school bus. On their website, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee said the first-time punishment is a $250 to $400 fine, five points on your license and possibly 30 days in jail.
