Motorists Take Heed: Wednesday is Operation Safe Stop in Dormont

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, will be targeting motorists who violate school bus safety laws as part of the 15th annual Operation Safe Stop.

"It's got to do with monitoring people who stop for school buses," Dormont police Chief Richard Dwyer said.

As part of National School Bus Safety Week, which runs Oct. 17-21, police in Dormont as well as across the state will mount a public awareness and enforcement effort to educate the motoring public that passing a stopped school bus, when children are loading or unloading, is both dangerous and illegal.

Dwyer said police are targeting a few areas where law violations have been an issue, include Hillsdale and Texas avenues, and Annex and Tennessee avenues. Those who violate the law are subject to fines and a license suspension.

"It's a pretty severe fine," Dwyer said.

According to PennDOT's website, Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law requires:

• Motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
• Motorists must stop when they are behind the bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
• Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
• If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.