NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

NEW YORK STATE PROCLAIMS 10TH ANNUAL OPERATION SAFE STOP DAY
Education, Enforcement Efforts Remind Motorists to Share the Road with School Buses

New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Commissioner and Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) Raymond P. Martinez announced today that Governor George E. Pataki has proclaimed today "Operation Safe Stop Day," prompting law enforcement patrols across New York State to target motorists who fail to stop for school buses that have their red lights flashing. This is the tenth annual "Safe Stop" day, the goal of which is to remind motorists to share the road with school buses.

"Now entering its second decade, "Operation Safe Stop" is an education and enforcement program that informs motorists, school bus operators, law enforcement agencies, school administrators and the general public about dangers that children encounter when traveling to and from school," Governor George E. Pataki's proclamation reads. "It is important to protect young children throughout the year from aggressive drivers and preventable traffic injuries, and pay special attention to their safety during the school year, when they are more vulnerable, as passengers in cars and buses and as pedestrians on streets."

Each school day, 2.3 million children are transported to and from school on New York State streets and highways. On each of these days, it is estimated that 50,000 motorists illegally pass stopped school buses. In the past 4 years, motorists passing stopped school buses hit 35 students, killing one.

The Operation Safe Stop campaign features police officers accompanying school buses on their normal routes and ticketing violators. Last year, as a result of these efforts, more than 1,800 people were ticketed for passing stopped school buses or other motor vehicle traffic infractions.

Commissioner Martinez said, "Targeting these thoughtless motorists who ignore traffic laws and endanger the lives of our children, sends the message to the motoring public that this type of behavior will have serious consequences. Today we aim to remind drivers to be prepared to stop on school grounds and roadways, while driving on either side of a divided highway, whenever a school bus displays flashing yellow lights, and come to a complete stop when the bus lights flash red."

Scott Goble, Transportation Supervisor in the Canandaigua City Schools and President of the New York Association for Pupil Transportation said, "Operation Safe Stop is one of the most significant traffic safety initiatives in our state and deserves the attention of all New Yorkers. Children are being put at risk every day by motorists who don't or won't take time to stop for a stopped school bus as it receives or discharges those children. Operation Safe Stop has been working away at this problem for ten years now and, regrettably, the problem persists. We are proud to be a partner in this effort to call attention to the problem and to aggressively pursue and convict those who continue to violate this important law."

Increases in pedestrian, school bus and vehicular traffic have heightened the chances of injuries, particularly among the young school age children. Fifty -one percent of all school-age pedestrians killed in school bus related crashes were between the ages of 5 and 7. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of 27 school-age children die in school bus related crashes each year throughout the United States.

The fine for failure to stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights ranges from $250 to $400 for a first conviction, plus a possible term of imprisonment of up to 30 days. A second conviction within three years requires a fine of between $600 and $750, plus a possible term of imprisonment of up to 180 days. Penalties for a third or subsequent conviction include fines ranging from $750 to $850 and up to 180 days in jail.

Operation Safe Stop is supported by the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the State's Departments of Motor Vehicles, Education and Transportation, the Division of State Police, the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, the New York State School Bus Contractors Association, the student transportation industry and local law enforcement agencies.

This summer the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee awarded a $20,000 grant to the New York Association for Pupil Transportation to assist the organization with its efforts to reduce the number of motorists who pass stopped school buses.

For more information on this and other traffic safety issues, please visit the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee website at www.safeny.com.

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