Schools
Study: Drivers Endanger School Bus Pupils in 'Staggering" Numbers
Gwinnett County school leaders are stepping up efforts to target such drivers who illegally pass school buses.
A newly released study -- conducted over just one day -- found that tens of thousands of drivers fail to stop for school buses.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) conducted the annual survey in 2012. The group reported that more than 108,000 school bus drivers identified 85,279 private vehicle drivers passing them illegally.
"These staggering numbers highlight the dangers school children face every day from drivers who illegally pass school buses with their stop arm deployed," the group said in a press release.
Just this year, Gwinnett County Public Schools took additional measures to halt the activity. Cameras are installed on 300 school buses, and will activate when stop arms deploy.
Any violators will be captured on video, ticketed and fined.
In nearby Cobb County, NASDPTS said such stop arm cameras have worked to help decrease the number of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses by 50 percent.
NASDTPS believes such cameras are imperative to a comprehensive approach, which would include education, engineering and enforcement.
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