State officials: Too many drivers still violating school bus stopping laws

(Harrisburg) — The results are in on the latest School Bus law enforcement initiative known as Operation Safe Stop.  

School districts and law enforcement agencies taking part in the October 18th Operation Safe Stop initiative reported 120 violations of the Pennsylvania School Bus Stopping Law. 

The law requires motorists to stop their vehicles not less than 10 feet from a stopped school bus with its red flashing lights on and stop arm extended; the only exception being when a school bus is stopped on the opposite side of a divided highway. 

PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards says one violation of the law is one too many.

“The bottom line is that every incident involves a risk to school age children, period,” she said.

Richards says 730 people were convicted of violating the state’s School Bus Stopping Law in 2016, up from 701 in 2015.