Operation Safe Stop kicks off school bus safety week

This week is school bus safety week and police were out in force today to make sure motorists understand the law when it comes to those giant yellow buses. 

School Bus Safety week is held at the end of every October because according to police there are still many drivers who don’t understand the law when PA’s 1.5 million kids are on the bus. 

All around Pennsylvania Wednesday, police were looking for drivers who don’t know the law.  Operation Safe Stop is designed to educate and alert drivers about the rules concerning school buses. 

It’s simple, if you are behind, in front of or at an intersection where a school buses’ lights are flashing and the stop sign comes out, you must stop.  And you can’t move again until all the kids are at a safe place. 

First Student is a company that buses thousands of kids for dozens of districts all around Lancaster County.  And they know how important it is to get the word out.  Phil Jeffery with First Student said, “The biggest thing we do is drive children to and from school as safely as humanly possibly and that’s our goal.  And to have the state police and the other municipalities and police departments on board and protecting those kids makes our jobs that much easier.”

Jeffery went on to say that from time to time drivers do break school bus safety laws.  And when they do the penalties are hefty; up to a $250 fine, five points on your license and even a possible suspension.