Operation Safe Stop educating drivers in Fulton County
13
FULTON COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - April 24 marks about two decades since the Operation Safe Stop campaign was created and widely used across the country to share the message that passing a stopped school bus is illegal. In New York State, the effort was created by the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Education Department, and the New York Association for Pupil Transportation to educate drivers about the traffic rules in regard to school buses.
In Fulton County, the initiative has been used for only a few years but has been effective in spreading the campaign's message. Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino said the goal of the effort is to remind people of the laws around stopping for a stopped school bus and that it's illegal and dangerous to pass a stopped school bus.
"It's a project out of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to make awareness or bring awareness to the public and to other drivers about stopping for school buses, slowing down when you see the yellow," Giardino said.
Giardino said about 100 buses pick up nearly 1,000 students every day so making sure that students are safe and educating drivers on how to follow the law is the message they are trying to send. In Fulton County, the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District, along with the sheriff's office, patrolled the school bus routes, making sure to follow behind buses picking up students in both marked and unmarked cars.
Fulton County District Attorney Michael Poulin said the operation is not about making arrests or writing tickets, but about making sure drivers know and are following the law.
"We have some of the youngest kids on the school buses," Poulin said. "They are the most vulnerable ages. The school does a great job trying to keep them safe. You have a driver, and you may have an aide on the bus, but you can't be watching at all times."
Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy Jeb Brundage shared his rule of thumb to stay safe.
"I look at is as, like if the flashing lights are on, that's basically, to me, the equivalent of a yellow stoplight," Brundage. "If you see those flashing lights, you should be beginning to slow down."
Giardino and Poulin are pushing for a law so all school districts can employ cameras for enforcement. They hope to get it going in the next two months.