About 8,900 Florida Drivers Illegally Pass School Buses Daily

National School Bus Safety Week begins today (Oct. 17), and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has teamed up with the departments of Education and Transportation to develop the “Stop on Red, Kids Ahead” campaign.

The goal is to encourage motorists to become familiar with the laws and safe practices associated with approaching a school bus.

Florida Motor Vehicles laws require that drivers stop if they approach any school bus that displays its flashing red lights and has its stop signs extended. The only exception is when a vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction of the school bus on a divided highway with an unpaved space of at least 5 feet or on a divided highway with a raised median or a physical barrier.

Big fines for a big problem

Passing illegally on the left hand side carries a $165 fine for the first offense; passing on the right will cost drivers $265.

In Florida, there are more than 8,900 drivers who pass school buses illegally each day. Any of those instances could result in a student’s injury or even death.

“School bus safety is everyone’s responsibility,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “School buses transport Florida’s future and we need to work together to ensure the safety of our children on Florida’s roadways.”

School Bus Safety By the Numbers