2011 GAPT Conference Reduce Stop Arm Violations in Georgia June 22, 2011 presented by Sheri Lewis and Mandi Call.

2011 GAPT ConferenceReduce Stop Arm Violations in Georgia

June 22, 2011presented by Sheri Lewis and Mandi Call

Sheri Lewis & Mandi Callco-founders

Operation Stop Arm

Georgia State Capital March 2010

MOTORISTS ARE PASSING THE BUS

• “I understand your concern.”• “This has been happening for years.”• “There is nothing we can do.”• “We will put you on Zone Patrol.”

Bus Stop Deaths in Metro-Atlanta 2008-2009

• 8/08 Olivia Hayes hit by armored truck that skidded out of control as she was entering her bus.

• 9/9/09 Wyatt Pilgrim hit by school bus while picking up poster that blew into street.

• 9/15/09 Everette Johnson struck by his bus as he stopped to pick up a book.

• 12/9/09 Karla Campos killed while exiting her school bus as motorist hits gas instead of brake and runs up onto the sidewalk.

Stop Arm ViolatorsI shot this video at my bus stop. It shows, not one, but two cars passing a stopped school bus, with red lights flashing and the stop arm full extended. Even the bus driver, blowing his horn didn’t get the motorist’s attention.

Everyday thousands of scenes like this play out across Cobb County. We need to take action to protect our children.

Concord SquarePost Oak Tritt | Marietta, GA

Video Captured 1/22/2010

Organized Meetingwith the help of PTA

Attendees included:• Cobb Co School District Transportation• Bus Driver• School Principal• School Board Member• Cobb County Police Captain• State Representative

Representative Don ParsonsInvites us to the Capital to assist in drafting

two house bills in 2010.

HB1348 School Bus Safety Task Force HB1374 Enforced By Means of Video Images

The Dangers of Passing Stopped School Buses

Pass a school bus? Cameras may catch you!

Cameras Aim to Nab Drivers Passing Buses

GAIN MEDIA ATTENTION

Chiefs Luncheon Agenda

Increase awareness and gain support Encourage relationship between school transportation and law

enforcement Obtain ideas on ways to reduce stop arm violations Discuss viability of stop arm cameras and necessity of legislative

changes Verify Cobb County penalties for illegally passing school buses

Working With Driver Services

1. Add more detailed information and diagrams in the Sharing the Road with School Buses part of the online drivers manual.

2. Consider adding more emphasis regarding school buses to the home page of their updated website.

Georgia Drivers ManualSharing the Road With School Buses

In most cases, all drivers are required to stop when approaching or meeting a stopped school bus that has its lights flashing and is loading or unloading passengers. The exception to this rule is when highways are separated in the center by median strips. In this situation, only vehicles following or traveling alongside a school bus in the same direction must stop. A warning will be given in advance by the flashing red or amber lights on the front and rear of the bus. After stopping, you must remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or deactivates its warning signals AND all loading or unloading passengers have cleared the roadway.

When traveling behind or alongside school buses, in residential areas or school districts where school buses are likely to be loading or unloading, remain alert for school children walking along the road, crossing the road, or waiting on the side of the road for the bus. Because smaller children may not always follow standard pedestrian safety rules, drivers in the area should be prepared to react to their unexpected movements. Do not rely only upon the actions of the school bus driver or the lights on the bus to determine when to

stop or when to resume motion. The safety of the children in the area takes priority over the signals on the bus.

Updated Georgia Drivers Manual

The Mission1. Amend current laws to make Stop Arm Violation penalties

enforceable.2. Once laws have been amended, work with school systems to find

cost effective ways to equip buses with stop arm cameras that have the ability to transmit images of illegally passing motorist to law enforcement agencies, for the purpose of issuing tickets.

3. Implement a nation-wide Operation Stop Arm marketing campaign to educate and awaken drivers to the dangers of illegally passing school buses.

Bus Stops in the United States

During the 2009-2010 school year, 13 children were killed in the United States at bus stops, 5 of those children were from Georgia.

Operation Stop Arm wants to help

• Reduce the number of bus stop accidents. • Reduce the number of illegally passing motorists.

• Most importantly protect the children.

Transportation Systems• Continue to educate bus drivers, students, parents, and schools. • Limit number of children crossing street in front of buses. • Educate children on looking before exiting, crossing the street, and never

returning to the bus for something dropped, encourage parents to be at the bus stop securing the street.

• Encourage bus driver to hold children on bus until all traffic is stopped. • Create Bus Stop Safety Task Force or Committee.

Georgia LawDuty of driver of vehicle meeting or overtaking school bus

§ 40-6-163.  Duty of driver of vehicle meeting or overtaking school bus; reporting of violations    (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, the driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking from either

direction any school bus stopped on the highway shall stop before reaching such school bus when there are in operation on the school bus the visual signals as specified in Code Sections 40-8-111 and 40-8-115, and such driver shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the visual signals are no longer actuated.

GEORGIA CODECopyright 2009 by The State of Georgia

All rights reserved.*** Current through the 2009 Regular Session ***TITLE 40.  MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC  

CHAPTER 6.  UNIFORM RULES OF THE ROAD  ARTICLE 8.  SCHOOL BUSESO.C.G.A. § 40-6-163  (2009) 

Georgia LawReporting of Violations

(b) The driver of a vehicle upon a highway with separate roadways need not stop upon meeting or passing a school bus which is on a different roadway, or upon a controlled-access highway when the school bus is stopped in a loading

zone which is a part of or adjacent to such highway and where pedestrians are not permitted to cross the roadway.

(c) Every school bus driver who observes a violation of subsection (a) of this Code section is authorized and directed to record specifically the vehicle description, license number of the offending vehicle, and time and place of occurrence on forms furnished by the Department of Public Safety. Such report shall be submitted within 15 days of

the occurrence of the violation to the local law enforcement agency which has law

GEORGIA CODECopyright 2009 by The State of Georgia

All rights reserved.*** Current through the 2009 Regular Session ***TITLE 40.  MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC  

CHAPTER 6.  UNIFORM RULES OF THE ROAD  ARTICLE 8.  SCHOOL BUSESO.C.G.A. § 40-6-163  (2009) 

Georgia Fines and Penalties

• Mandatory Court Appearance• Up to a $1000 Fine• 6 Points on Driving Record• A Violation Under 21 Years of Age

Constitutes a License Suspension

Senate Bill 57With the help of Representative Don

Parsons, Senator Steve Gooch, and lobbyists from GA Link, SB57 made it through the 2011 legislation session with only 20 minutes to spare.

• May 11th, 2011 Governor Nathan Deal signs stop arm legislation into law

• This law will take effect July 1st, 2011

Governor Nathan Deal

New LawThe new law effective July 1, 2011 will allow stop arm cameras to be placed on the outside of school buses to ticket the owner of the vehicle that illegally passes a stopped school bus. It allows this to be a civil offense that results in a fine, but no points on the motor vehicle record. It allows the revenue from these tickets to be shared with school systems to fund equipment, the monitoring of video, and bus safety programs. It exempts the bus driver from having to report violations leaving them to focus on the children.

Fines from Stop Arm Camera

The fine is $300.00 for a first offense, $750.00 for a second offense, and $1,000 for each subsequent offense in a five-year period.

OBSTACLEViolations go unreported because it is difficult for school bus drivers

to gather all required information.

SOLUTIONInstall camera systems that automatically record and report illegal passing violations. The

new law now makes the bus driver on a bus with a stop arm camera system exempt from reporting violations.

OBSTACLECameras are unable to identify driver.

SOLUTIONSWith the new law, citations are to be issued to registered owner of vehicle.

Only require image of vehicle and license plate to issue ticket.

OBSTACLELack of funding for school districts to install and maintain camera equipment and monitoring

SOLUTIONSa) The new law allows citation revenue sharing with camera vendors in return for

zero install / operating costs.b) The new law allows citation revenue sharing with school systems to buy and

maintain cameras, and monitoring.c) The new law allows citation revenue sharing to help fund safety programs in

schools.

OBSTACLEMandatory court appearance for illegally passing a school bus could become

overwhelming for court system.

SOLUTIONSThe new law, makes court appearances required only in the event the ticket

is being challenged by the owner, if it is a second or more offense, or the owner is under 21 years of age.

Some Stop Arm Camera Options

• Cobb County School District Transportation

• SmartBus Live

• ACS CrossSafe Solutions

Marketing Campaign• Website Public Service Announcements

Radio, Television, Print Annual Stop Arm Violation Count Report National School Bus Safety Week Promotion

1. Educate our children about bus danger zones2. Educate children on bullying, violence, abduction at bus stops3. Educate parents on how to maintain a safe bus stop4. Educate motorists of the law and the dangers of passing the bus

Sheri Lewis404.218.5461

[email protected]