Tag: school bus stop signs

West Virginia to Stiffen Penalties for Passing School Buses

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has approved increased penalties for passing stopped school buses.

Tomblin signed the bill Thursday.

On a first offense, drivers passing a school bus that stopped to pick up or drop off students could be guilty of a misdemeanor, fined $250 to $500, imprisoned up to six months and could lose their licenses 30 days.

On a second offense, it increases to $500 to $1,000 in fines and 90 days’ license suspension. A third will warrant a $1,000 fine, from two days to six months in jail and 180 days of license suspension.

If someone is hurt or killed, willfully breaking the law would be a felony and guaranteed prison time of one to 10 years, plus stiffer fines.

The law takes effect in June.

Extended School Bus Stop Signs Not Deterring Drivers

Six-foot-long stop arms on school buses haven’t deterred some drivers from trying to illegally pass.

Kanawha County Schools executive transportation director Brette Farley tells The Charleston Gazette-Mail that the new stop arms have been hit six times since the school year began in August.

In Cabell County, schools transportation director Joe Meadows says one driver hit an arm.

Cabell, Kanawha and Greenbrier counties participated in a pilot study of the extended arms in August. North Carolina-based Bus Safety Solutions donated 10 arms to each county.

Despite the hits, Farley and Meadows say the extended arms have reduced illegal passing of school buses.

A recent survey by a national transportation directors association says more than 78,000 vehicles illegally passed school buses in 26 states on a single day.

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