There have been far too many accidents and too many close calls to allow the current state of affairs to continue. Putting aside whether it is legal or not, is it not dangerous to let children off of a school bus in the middle of a street when there is enough room for cars to pass between the bus and the curb? Are we relying on the flimsy stop sign to protrude from the side of the bus? How many times has it occured that a distracted driver passed the bus in these situations narrowly missing children who are coming off the bus? Are we relying on the fact that it’s wrong to pass the bus and then yell for action to be taken against those who transgress? It’s certainly a horrible thing for a driver to do, but can we all say we have never ever been a distracted driver?
If it has happened so many times, maybe we need to take a more defensive approach and analyze the current system. Maybe we need to rethink how school buses should be allowed to let children off.
The risk is exponentially amplified when children are let off facing the opposite side of their house and need to disembark and cross in front of the bus to the side of the street they live on – with potentially another space between the bus and opposite curb where oncoming traffic can squeeze through. How many times have school bus drivers forgotten to put out the stop sign? We have many great school bus drivers and we thank them for doing a great job and do not mean to lump them all together, but it has happened that a driver had forgotten to put out the stop sign.
Do any of you have ideas how we can remodel the system? Is it that difficult for the transportation and bus companies to arrange for all bus stops to only be allowed when the school bus pulls up close enough to the curb so that no cars can squeeze by and to also disallow the practice of children crossing in front of the school bus to the other side. Yes, more stops will be necessary to accommodate children living on both sides of a street, but will it be worth eliminating the danger? What do our parents think?
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I agree. We should contract Amazon to do drone deliveries of ti and children from school.
It’s sounds nice on paper, but in practice going to two sides of the street on some congested roads could have kids coming home a half hour more later that they already are. It will also make it even harder for a driver to get to his next school. As is traffic can cause kids to get home at crazy times. My kid gets home a half hour to 45 minutes later on Fri. and I live 10 minutes from the school.
It might help if the driver could block the road – which is illegal.
It might help to have doors on both sides of the bus – also illegal.
It would also help if parents met their kids.
Would you rather have your kid come home a half hour late or come home injured or worse?
Have the yellow sticks come out across the lane. In addition to the front.
Really?!? You wouldn’t be able to open the door, you’ll need all sides clear for the stick to come out…
How about also NOT leaving them a block away (or more) whether it’s a High school kid(s) or Not.
I’m a bus driver for 14 years, I’ve been driving a bus in Boro park park for 8 years and I always made the bus on a slant and blocking both lanes like everyone does so cars couldn’t pass even if they wanted, I had only a few times that a car squeezed through.
in Lakewood its illegal to go on a slant and block both lanes, there is alot of cars passing, the only solution is to block both lanes!!!
Simple! Abide by the traffic laws or stay off the roads!
In Brooklyn the bust stops at a slant and it is not possible to pass.
@TLS stop with these letters
How can parents meet their kids when the bus comes different times every single day? Maybe put gps trackers that we can see bus moving in real time through an app so we know when to come out when we see on the app the bus getting closer to our stop.
Let’s be on honest first off they shouldn’t be allowed to stop on 4 lane roads, 2. The buses should have to stop on a street that isn’t busy 3. The drivers should stick to their stops and routes and not allow kids to just tell them to stop wherever they want 4. Everybody needs to drive with caution and pay attention while they’re driving.5. What would also help is teaching our children how to cross safely and stop before crossing the street to look for cars And A big one how about parents actually waiting for their children outside wouldn’t that be amazing? everybody is busy and not everybody has time to be outside all day you’re right, maybe you can take turns with a neighbor or at least keep a look out for when your child will be coming home and really the bus has a rule that primary kids are not allowed to be dropped off if there was not a parent there and the driver still drop them off either way
1. The bus should have doors both sides
2. Bus should stop on a slant and block all necessary lanes where kids have to go
3. Kids should be taught to look both sides of the door before exiting
I would just like to mention that it’s not always the fault of the driver..
I witnessed a bus turn OFF his red flashing lights after 10pm while TWO boys were STILL crossing Squankum Rd. Luckily, I was watching the boys and not the bus since they were almost invisible in their full black attire…
Bus drivers should NEVER turn off their lights until ALL children are safely off the road.
Why don’t parents drive their kids to school
I believe that the lakewood police needs to wait a random bus stops and start pulling people over. Without action there is no solution.
LPD is a good idea. NJSP is better, as it is a violation of NJ State law. Unmarked NJSP cars should monitor bus stops on a random or rotating basis and issue State summonses which likely hold more weight in a Municipal court.
There are plenty laws designed to ensure the safety of our children they just need to be enforced. The problem with this we have 0 enforcement. I wonder if someone could can provide the number of tickets issued for not obeying the blinking lights of a school over the last year or so?
If anyone cannot see a bright yellow school bus with with lights flashing and when the stop sign is flashing or even the yellow lights flashing, they should be prepared to stop immediatedly or not be driving at all. Here is the law:
Passing a School Bus
OVERVIEW
A driver on a highway approaching or overtaking a bus used solely for the transportation of children to and from school, any school activity, or summer day camp must stop not less than 25 feet from the bus when the bus has stopped to receive or discharge any passengers. The driver may not proceed until all children have entered the bus or have alighted and reached the side of the highway, or until the flashing red lights have stopped.
Do not pass or closing approach a school bus with flashing red lights.
State law requires that motorists stop at least 25 feet away if traveling on a two-lane road, or on a multi-lane highway where lanes are only separated by lines, or on a privately maintained road.
Slow down to 10 mph if traveling on a dual highway, if on the opposite side of a safety island or a raised median.
School buses are equipped with yellow, amber or red flashing lights. Yellow or amber lights before the bus stops, and red lights go on when it has stopped. Do not depend on these lights if traveling behind a school bus. These lights could be malfunctioning.
When the bus stops, motorists traveling behind or approaching the bus must stop at least 25 feet from the school bus. Watch for children, and then proceed slowly, at 10 mph.
If a school bus has stopped directly in front of a school to pick up or let off children, pass from either direction at no more than 10 mph.
The fines for the improper passing of a school bus are $102 to $252. A driver convicted of this offense can be sentenced to up to 15 days of jail, or 15 days of community service.
In most improper passing school bus cases, a driver will lose for 30 days. A driver is assessed five points for improperly passing a school bus.
PASSING A SCHOOL BUS
In summary, school bus cases can be a disaster. It is always a strongly advisable idea to attempt to get a school bus charge dropped down to a careless driving charge. A passing a school bus conviction carries five points. Therefore, it is a major win to get the charge dropped to only a two pointer. Most municipal courts will not permit a school bus charge to be dropped to a no pointer.
The only way to beat a school bus case is to hope that the school bus driver does not show up for court. Moreover, the lawyer can subpoena the records from the school bus driver. The school bus driver has to continually check the safety devices for the school bus. Sometimes, the school bus driver keeps crummy records. Moreover, the statute reads that the driver must have at least notice from 40 feet away that a school bus is stopping. The driver can argue that the school bus driver put the flashing lights on too late, or activated the stop sign from the side of the bus too late, to enable the driver to make a full stop, in a safe manner.
The key issue in school bus cases is how reasonable the driver was in the current factual situation. Moreover, many Municipal Court judges can be “hardcore” in these cases. Always research the individual judge in these types of cases. Also beware for the “vigilante” bus drivers. Many towns have vigilante bus drivers who make it their part time job to file their own complaints against violators. They can be demons to deal with. In summary, a school bus violation carries five points, and a conviction for this offense can easily double your insurance rates.
Having parents wait is not the answer. Even when I wait for my children daily, I see near misses all the time… We aren’t crossing guards… and the cars skipping red lights will do so even with a parent waiting. Another issue is the many subs the children have – so that each time the bus comes at a different corner of the intersection and at a different time and doesn’t know where the children are going or how many children are coming off at the stop. Every day my kids come home safely I thank Hashem for the Neis. Drivers need to slow down and have patience. And yes, the busses should stop on the right side of the street for anyone under age 12. (older than that can and should be taught correctly how to tell the driver they are crossing in front of the bus and check for cars themselves).
Concerned actually u can all laugh I don’t but my kids on a bus not just for that reason. Plenty of other reasons. but I used to and we actually do transportation with vans and you can say what you want but it does help with the parents of there I’m not saying it’s the complete answer, but when my kids used to go on the bus, I waited I let the bus go and then I crossed with my children again it’s not the only answer, but it does help I can I tell you how many times we’re doing Transportation that we pull even in front of the house and the parents don’t come out to get their kids. Some of them can’t open the doors can’t close the doors one of them close their finger in the door because the parent wasn’t there we will not drop anybody off anymore unless the parent comes out to get them parents do have to take a little bit responsibility of their children again doesn’t just fall on parents doesn’t just fall on the drivers police do you need to be more present drivers have to be more aware, and there should be hefty fines for anybody, not following the law when it comes to buses
I wish I had an answer, but as someone driving in Bklyn for about 7 years, I want to point out that when bus drivers suddenly swerve into oncoming traffic to block all lanes on a slant as many people mentioned, it is quite scary. There’s no way to know that they will suddenly swing over in your direction.
@CommunityMember
I agree, well said. We all would rather our kids be safe.
@coldbeer
It seems people actually do care about this
Policing and enforcing traffic laws is great, but not at all the answer here. The issue at point is do we want something inherently dangerous happening? Even one accident is too much!
What they do in NY regarding blocking the street might be a good idea, but if it’s illegal it would be a harder fight to fight.
It seems everyone agrees there is a problem so why allow this? Everyone should be calling the transportation companies to let them know we need change. The letter writer’s idea of only letting kids off on the right side and requiring the bus to be close to the sidewalk to make it impossible for cars to pass is the only rational workable solution anyone has put forth so far.
When a bus driving up Central Avenue suddenly throws its lights on it’s quite easy to miss it even if you aren’t being distracted by anything.
Exactly! Was just thinking the same thing. My opinion.
The whole set up needs to be different.
You know when a car wants to stop or let someone out. What do they do? Put on they’re blinkers etc… Right so traffic behind him knows what he’s doing and then knows how to proceed.
Over here buses don’t put on they’re blinkers . They just stop all of a sudden and that takes the drivers behind them to a shock or something to it. It’s against the normal nature of stopping. Maybe if there can be some sort of warning sign something is coming up then things would get better. And buses should turn into the side that the child is getting off at.
And big yellow sticks should be out out till bus is straight. Or a traffic light on the bus front and back until he’s green meaning until he’s totally straight then the drivers can go.
I don’t I’m sure there is a solution. It just gotta be implemented and things would get safer iyh.
As far as a solution goes, it won’t help to blame the offenders and it won’t help to blame the buses. Even if things get somewhat better – it won’t be enough!!
This. Won’t. Solve. The. Problem.
The main concern is the danger. And a danger should be completely eliminated. If a solution exists to eliminate a danger and it is not implemented, isn’t that a פשיעה??
A new standard needs to be implemented to completely eliminate the risk to our children.
It may work in other municipalities for children to cross in front of the bus to the left side, and it may work for buses to stop in the middle of the street and not up against the right curb, but here that has not worked. Something that has not worked needs to be changed.