Niagara Falls, NY, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The City of Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls City School District, and Niagara Falls Coach Lines today announce the launch of the BusPatrol school bus safety program to protect students at school bus stops.
Starting Monday September 27th, stop-arm cameras on the side of school buses in Niagara Falls will capture the license plates of drivers that illegally pass stopped school buses, putting children at risk. Local law enforcement will use this technology to enforce school bus stopping laws. The program aims to educate drivers on the importance of school bus safety. The technology, installation and maintenance have been provided at zero cost through BusPatrol’s violator-funded program.
Every day in New York State, an estimated 50,000 drivers illegally pass stopped school buses according to Operation Safe Stop. The school bus safety program in Niagara Falls aims to deter drivers from ignoring school bus stop-arms.
“We know the safety of our children traveling to and from school is extremely important and with schools returning to full time, in-person learning, drivers need to remember to drive safely around school buses,” said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “Implementing BusPatrol provides the added support we need to protect our children inattentive drivers that present a risk to the safety of our children as they get on and off the school bus.”
“With the full return to in-person learning and the dispatching of 80 bus runs daily, it is more imperative now than ever, that drivers proceed slowly and recognize that traffic safety is more critical than ever,” said Niagara Falls City Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie. “Hopefully, this program will yield no bus infractions.”
“The implementation of BusPatrol adds another tool in the tool belt of the Niagara Falls Police Department in protecting our City’s children,” said City of Niagara Falls Police Department Superintendent John Faso. “Our goal is not to have to ticket drivers, but this allows us to enforce safety measures needed to protect children as they get on and off of school buses.”
Speaking about the program launch, Jean Souliere, CEO and Founder of BusPatrol, said: “Each year in the US, there are 17 million stop-arm violations. That is 17 million times a year that a child is needlessly put at risk. Our mission is to reduce this number to zero by working with communities like the City of Niagara Falls to help enforce school bus stopping laws.”
It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus in New York State. According to the New York DMV, “when a stopped school bus flashes its red light(s), traffic that approaches from either direction, even in front of the school and in school parking lots, must stop before it reaches the bus. You should stop at least 20 feet (6 m) away from the bus.” The fine for failing to stop for a school bus ranges from $250 for a first violation to a maximum of $1,000.
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