Collaborating to End Illegal Passing Fatalities

• By: admin
• On: 12/17/2018 10:24:34
• In: Regulatory Updates

The inordinate number of student pedestrian fatalities in the last few months has brought the problem of cars and light trucks illegally passing stopped school buses to national attention.

Whether you call it illegal passing, red-light-running, distracted driving, absent-minded driving, mindless driving or something even more descriptive, it occurs everywhere with stunning frequency.

Media reporting indicates thirteen such fatalities already this school year — one in August; one in September; eight in October; two in November and one thus far in December. There have been other non-fatal but serious injuries too, including two within just the last few weeks.

As an industry, we play an important role in prevention, especially since we all know a well-trained school bus driver is the first and best line of defense. But when tens of thousands of motorists illegally pass stopped school buses every day while they're loading or unloading children the situation becomes very difficult to manage from an operations perspective. It is therefore incumbent upon us to seek help.

We know from experience that community awareness combined with stepped up law enforcement will make a difference. That's why in December 2018, I sent letters to federal safety officials, and to my counterparts at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and National Sheriff's Association requesting their help and offering to partner with them and collaborate with them to stem the tide and save lives.

In addition to offering thoughts and prayers after a tragedy, we also need tangible action beforehand to prevent these tragedies in the first place. I am asking you to join NAPT in committing to end the incidence of this unsafe behavior now, before there are any more fatalities.

What can you do specifically? Write your own letter (if you need help getting started, contact NAPT at info@napt.org and we'll send you a sample) to local political and law enforcement officials and ask for a meeting to devise a local course of action. Then commit to being a leader in whatever plan you devise.

In addition, remind your drivers of the essential, important role they play in these situations. Ask them for their help. Remind them that children everywhere, particularly in your local community, are counting on them. And give them the support they need, especially training, training and more training.

In my view, this is a problem demanding solutions tailored to local circumstances. This is an opportunity for all of us to become even greater, more vocal advocates for student safety than we are already.

Together I know we can make a difference.