Complaints of Stop Arm Violations Arise Wednesday, February 24, 2010 By Pauline Santos According to Missouri law, a vehicle is supposed to stop when a school bus has its stop arm out. The fine for breaking this law can reach up to $500. - Advertising You are driving through town and are already running late when you suddenly get stuck waiting for a stopped school bus. What should you do? You think about just passing the bus so you can quickly get to where you are going. What harm can it bring, right? Everyone becomes a little impatient now and then, but is it really worth endangering not just yourself, but children and other drivers? Not only is it dangerous to pass a bus that is stopped, loading or unloading, but it is against the law. In the State of Missouri, when a bus has its flashers on and its stop sign arm is out, no vehicle is to pass the bus, whether the car is behind it, coming from the opposite direction, or even just turning. Though most people should be aware of this law, many complaints have been filed about drivers running a stop arm recently in Cameron. The fine for this, including court costs, could be anywhere from $64.50 to $500 upon discretion of the judge. Failure to pay the fine or appear in court could land a driver 90 days in jail. These sound like some pretty heavy consequences for doing something one might think isn't that big of a deal, so why do people do it? "They're not paying attention. They're on their cell phones, listening to the radio, and they're just not paying attention to what's going on around them," said Safety Officer/Bus Driver Judy Becker. She goes on to explain how some drivers don't understand the law completely, which is another reason they end up disobeying the law. For example, some don't realize that they must stop even if there is a lane between them and the bus. Bus Driver Brent Fleshman also acknowledged this problem. Though he doesn't see it too often, he said that 'a few times is too many.' He also said he had seen this law broken for as long as he has been driving buses, which is 18 years. "[It is] extremely dangerous because little kids don't pay attention to the vehicles and they sometimes just run off when they get off the bus." In 2009, ten complaints were filed to the Cameron Police Department about vehicles failing to stop for a school bus. Seven of those instances happened on Walnut, and four of the complaints were filed within a little over two weeks after the school year had started. Even with the reports, many drivers still get away with it. Officer Becker said she personally receives an average of two complaints each week about people running stop arms. Though it is an ongoing problem, there are a few ways to help prevent it. "Education should be done from the very beginning," said Mr. Fleshman. "People shouldn't be allowed to get their driver's license until they understand it." "We've got to educate our public and pass stiffer laws concerning cell phones," Officer Becker said. "I'm not picking on just teenagers. We've got adults out there who have cell phones stuck to their ears constantly." You can also help keep kids safer. According to Officer Becker and Mr. Fleshman, both bus drivers and other people on the road can report anyone who is breaking the law by getting the license plate number. Any other information is also helpful, such as the color of the car and a description of the driver, or anything to help officers. Drivers who break the law need to realize the importance of obeying the rules of the road and the possible consequences of disobeying them. "It's really for the safety of the children getting on and off the bus," said Captain Gaylen White of the Cameron Police Department. "...If a person were to strike a child, I'm sure there's a lot of regret going around a bus and hitting a kid trying to pass in front of them. Something like that would haunt you for the rest of your life for striking this child and maybe even killing them. Then you're facing manslaughter charges possibly. There's a lot of things that come into play. Not only fines and jail time, but you can actually face some other criminal-type charges, too, if there are other circumstances connected to running a stop arm. Not only is it for your safety and for your conscience, but really for safety of the children." So next time you are driving near a school bus, remember to be more attentive and stop when that stop arm is out, or else the consequences could be bad. If you see anyone else breaking the law, you should report them and help keep the roads safer for children. "Maybe your child or grandchild is out there crossing in front of that bus," said Officer Becker, "and we sure don't want anyone injured."

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