Hilltown Police are reminding motorists to abide by traffic laws when it comes to stopped and stopping school buses, after a video surfaced of an SUV speeding past a bus that was in the process of picking up a student on Wednesday morning.
The video, which can be viewed here, was posted to Facebook Thursday evening by the Hilltown Township Police Department. In the video, there is a young female student waiting in her driveway along Hilltown Pike when her school bus arrives and comes to a stop. As the bus comes to a stop, a gray SUV speeds past the bus, ignoring the flashing stop sign.
“You have seen the videos of cars running school bus red lights. Kids are hurt, sometimes even killed...all because a driver fails to stop for a few precious seconds to let the kids get on or off the bus,” said the police department, in the Facebook post accompanying the video. “This isn't a video of some road, someplace else. This is YOUR community. These are YOUR kids. This is YOUR chance to do better. This is a bus stop in Hilltown Township and this happens weekly, sometimes multiple times a week.”
Police added that the issue of passing stopped school buses is a real problem, and stated that drivers need to pay better attention, drive with fewer distractions and show greater concern for the safety of children.
According to PennDOT, more than 700 drivers are convicted each year for passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. Those convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law receive a 60-day suspension of their driver’s license, five points on their driving record and a $250 fine.
To read more about Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, click here.
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