COLCHESTER, Vt. (WCAX) – Police say drivers are blowing through school bus stop signs weekly, leaving school officials to plead with the public to be more cautious.
It’s not a new problem, but a persistent one in Colchester.
Parent Kelsey Mallabar says she had a close call this year.
“I walked her across the street as I always do, and when I turned to come back through the street to go back to our house, a car had decided to go around the bus crossing over the double lines and nearly hit me,” said Mallabar.
She says the experience was surprising and left her in shock but she knows she’s not alone.
“I hear it all the time, unfortunately. You know, there are always Facebook groups and whatnot, and people are constantly saying that someone ran through a stop sign on the bus or someone did something dangerous, you know, putting their kids at risk,” she said.
The data doesn’t lie – the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department says red light violations have increased across the board. Corporal Jaime Bressler of Colchester Police says she’s been forwarded over 30 complaints since the beginning of the school year, handling three to five violations per week.
“That is just a fraction of what the bus drivers are able to provide me. So if I’m getting three to five, my guess is it’s probably more around 10 or 15,” said Bressler.
She says it’s hard to know what is causing the uptick, but suspects it’s distracted driving or people in a rush.
While there haven’t been any accidents yet, this is a top-of-mind conversation for the police and the school. One helpful addition is external bus cameras that were added in October.
“It is a little bit easier. We can certainly see a better description of the vehicle,” said Bressler.
The school district created an informational PSA reminding families of the rules of the road and says the cameras have been helpful.
With 20 buses doing four routes a day, drivers have a lot on their plates.
“We’re also working with the police department, providing them those hotspots, making sure that when call volume and staffing affords for them that they can actually be visible on our routes, informing our families and informing our community. And that kind of allows us to then come back and evaluate,” said Meghan Baule of the Colchester School District.
“Our pride and joy are our kids so we want to keep them safe,” said Mallabar.
The red light school bus violation is five points on your license and $249.00.
