Don’t ignore school bus stop arms

Editorial: Aug. 23 is the first day schools can legally start in Iowa, which means it won’t be long before school buses full of kids are back on the roads.
Now is a good time for motorists to remember to respect the school buses and stop arms. Last year, the Hampton-Dumont School District reported 47 stop arm violations between late August and the beginning of May.
The stop arms on school buses exist to keep kids safe as they’re getting on and off the buses. Plain and simple, if a motorist sees a stop sign on a school bus out, it’s time to come to a complete stop until the arm goes back in.
Officials with the school district said last year, bus drivers reported some drivers going past stop arms at 55 miles per hour or faster and some were possibly looking at cell phones. Not every violation was as extreme but all are against the law and a safety risk for students. Even simple stop and go’s around a stop arm can be potentially deadly to children.
We all want to keep our students safe, but safety extends far beyond the classrooms and hallways. Slow down when you see yellow flashing lights on a bus and come to a complete stop at a stop arm.

Hampton Chronicle

9 Second Street NW
Hampton, IA 50441
Phone: 641-456-2585
Fax: 1-800-340-0805
Email: news@midamericapub.com

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