Duanesburg to participate in Operation Safe Stop
April 14, 2010—Law enforcement officers will be in full force
aboard school buses and in marked and unmarked vehicles in Duanesburg and
throughout the state as part of Operation Safe Stop on Thursday, April 15. They
will be issuing tickets to drivers who pass stopped school buses with their red
lights flashing.
If the yellow lights on a bus are flashing, slow down, the bus is preparing to
stop. If the red lights are flashing, you must stop. It's the law! The red
lights indicate the bus is stopped to load or unload students.
Drivers must always stop for school buses, even:
• on the opposite sides of divided highways,
• on multiple lane roadways,
• in parking lots,
• on school grounds, and
• while approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the
rear.
The first-time fine for illegally passing a school bus is a minimum $250 fine, 5
points on your license, and/or possibly up to 30 days in jail. The second
offense jumps to a minimum fine of $600, 5 points on your license and/or
possibly up to 180 days in jail.
Please keep in mind that motorists should always stop when a school bus is
stopped, not just on Operation Safe Stop Day.