By Don Rush

Oxford Schools are fully engaged and back from the Labor Day holiday. Area drivers  these days now notice roads are carrying a little more traffic, including school buses.

Thirty-six Oxford School buses to be exact.

According to Ann Weeden, Director of Transportation for Oxford School last year buses traveled a total of 505,236 miles for the entire school year. “We averaged 1,673.3 miles a day traveling to school,” she said. “We have 36 bus routes for the 2022/23 school year, and 36 drivers. We do average approximately 500,000 miles every year, with the exception of the two years with COVID.”

And, like every year some drivers blow by buses at all the wrong times. Weeden said there were two laws added to the books last year to help combat this problem.

“The first involves the use of video footage by police agencies to ticket individuals that run through the red lights of a stopped school bus.” she said. “This video footage would come from stop arm cameras that can be mounted under the stop arm on the side of school buses. The second law makes it a civil infraction for any unauthorized person to enter a school bus.”

Weeden admitted illegal passing happens locally, too. “Yes, we do have problems with motorists passing our stopped buses. This is a nationwide issue, and about the only time it is mentioned is when children are hurt or killed by a passing vehicle,” she said.

She said all Oxford buses have cameras and on full-sized buses one camera is mounted facing the windshield.

According to the Michigan State Police (MSP) website, “The majority of bus-related deaths and injuries involve pedestrians – mostly children – who are struck by a bus or injured when they are exiting the bus to cross traffic. Those who pass stopped school buses may be charged with civil infractions carrying a fine between $100 and $500. Violators may also be required to perform up to 100 hours of community service at a school.”

So, what are the rules?

The MSP website (www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/ohsp/safety-programs/school-bus-safety) lists the following:

School Bus Zone & Danger Zone
Anyone who can touch the bus with an outstretched arm is TOO CLOSE to the bus!

School bus safety tips for drivers:

• Prepare to stop when a slowing bus has its overhead yellow lights flashing
• Stop at least 20 feet away from buses when red lights are flashing, unless driving in the opposite direction on a divided highway
• Slow down in or near school and residential areas
• Look for clues-such as safety patrols, crossing guards, bicycles, and playgrounds-that indicate children might be in the area
• Watch for children between parked cars and other objects

School bus are like traffic signals:

• When overhead lights are flashing yellow: Prepare to stop
• When overhead lights are flashing red: Stop
• When hazard warning lights are flashing: Proceed with caution

School bus safety tips for students:

• Always stay in sight of the bus driver
• Don’t hurry off the bus; check traffic first
• Don’t go back to the bus after exiting

Operation Safe Stop is conducted the third week of October during National School Bus Safety Week.  This enforcement initiative provides an opportunity to educate drivers on how to safely share the road with buses and provide safety to Michigan’s students as they are loading and unloading at bus stops.