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Missed stops at flashing lights put students at risk
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT — In just the first month of school, the Mt. Pleasant Community School District has recorded 11 stop-arm violations — cases where a driver illegally passed a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. The growing tally underscores both the danger students face and the ongoing challenge of enforcing Iowa’s school bus safety laws.
“Every single one of them is dangerous,” Transportation Director Ted Carlson said. “People doing this don’t know if that child is going to chase a piece of paper that blew away or step into the road for any reason.”
The violations aren’t confined to one area. Anna Carlson, assistant to the director and a special-needs bus driver, said buses see a mix of infractions such as in front of Lincoln Elementary and various rural routes. On faster rural roads, she added, the most serious breaches tend to occur.
Drivers like Carlson have witnessed a range of risky behavior: drivers pulling up to the bus, stopping, then pressing ahead; passing on the door side; even a golf cart zipping past a stopped bus. After police are informed of violations they take them seriously.
Ted Carlson said when they spoke with the individual that passed a bus with a golf cart, drivers began to notice him stopping for the arm-signals.
“When you get a ticket, it makes a difference,” he said.
Whether drivers are in a hurry, not paying attention, or do not understand the law, both Ted and Anna Carlson emphasize that obeying the law is critical — and failure to do so can be costly.
“It is so blatantly obvious that they’re supposed to stop,” Ted Carlson said. “Our newer buses have stop arms in the front and back, and LED lights that look like a firetruck. They’re seven inches around, full LED red lights.”
According to the Institute for Transportation, state legislation known as Kadyn’s Law, passed in 2012 after a fatal incident, toughened penalties for unlawful passing of school buses. The law elevated fines, added suspension provisions, and encouraged use of cameras to assist enforcement.
Under Iowa law, drivers must stop for a bus in either direction when red lights flash and the stop arm is extended — unless the road has multiple lanes in both directions and the bus is approached from the opposite side. A violation can result in a fine and a driver’s license suspension of up to 180 days.
“We have cameras … on the outside of the bus, so rarely do they get away,” Ted Carlson said.
The district records as much detail as possible, vehicle make and model, license plates, driver information when available, and submits those to authorities.
Carlson encourages motorists to treat flashing bus lights seriously.
The issue resonates beyond Mt. Pleasant. A national survey of school bus operators indicates that illegal passing of stopped buses is widespread, with hundreds of thousands of incidents occurring each school day.
Local leaders have called for shared responsibility. “Please keep all students safe and follow traffic laws,” MPCSD school board member Derek Mullin said. “When my own kids rode the bus, I witnessed violations and reported them to our Transportation director. Be accountable.”
As more stop-arm violations stack up in Mt. Pleasant, the district continues to balance enforcement, technology and education in a bid to keep its most vulnerable travelers safe. The underlying message is clear: lights, arms, cameras — and consciences — all must work.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
