|
|
Cook County Independent School District (ISD) 166 will receive $28,112 which will be used to purchase school bus stop arm cameras for its fleet of 14 school busses.
The announcement came last week from the Minnesota Department of Safety who provided nearly $1.4 million in grants to help keep students safe when they got on and off the bus.
According to the press release by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, “Drivers need to pay attention and not let impatience get the best of them near a school bus picking up or dropping off kids,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson. “Driving distracted or thinking you can quickly drive around a bus could kill or seriously injure a child. What a horrific, easily preventable consequence. Drive smart and help keep our youngest Minnesotans safe.”
In addition to enforcement, the project funds education and awareness efforts to encourage drivers to obey the law and stop for buses with flashing lights and stop arms extended. The cameras provided through the project will help schools and law enforcement find the violators and hold them accountable.
The program is a partnership with law enforcement agencies including the Minnesota State Patrol, police departments and sheriff ’s offices statewide. Phase four grants, the latest iteration of the stop arm camera grant project, go to 19 schools and transportation companies. Grant applicants provided support letters from local law enforcement agencies, an outreach plan and demonstrated need by sharing violation numbers from the last two years.
Arm Camera Grant Project
• Minnesota state legislators approved $14.7 million in total funding for this project for 2022 and 2023.
• In 2022, OTS announced more than $10 million in grant awards in phases one through three. A future OTS announcement will highlight phase five grantees. The phase six grant application review is underway.
• The grants will reimburse schools and transportation companies for purchasing and installing stop arm camera systems and supporting software programs.
Minnesota Drivers Risking Students’ Lives
Law enforcement agencies work with schools and transportation companies to cite drivers failing to stop for school buses with flashing lights and stop arms extended. From 2017-2021, law enforcement cited 4,652 drivers for stop arm violations.
The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services conducts an annual illegal passing survey in Minnesota. School bus drivers observed 1,003 stop arm violations in a single day during the 2022 survey.
Follow the Law, Keep Children Safe
• State law requires all vehicles to stop for school buses when the bus driver activates the flashing lights and has the stop arm fully extended.
• Drivers who violate the law face a $500 fine.
• Drivers can face criminal charges for passing a school bus on the right, passing when a child is outside the bus, or injuring or killing a child.
Motorists
• Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights or a stop arm when approaching from the rear and from the opposite direction on undivided roads.
• Motorists should slow down, pay attention and anticipate school children and buses, especially in neighborhoods and school zones.
• The best way to be aware of your surroundings at all times is to put the distractions away.
Students
• When getting off a bus, look to be sure no cars are passing on the shoulder.
• Wait for the bus driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
• When crossing the street to get on the bus or to go home, make eye contact with motorists before proceeding.
Leave a Reply