Full Notification

For Immediate Release                                                                                      October 16, 2019
Sergeant Solve Loken, (310) 253-6260, [email protected]
 
The Culver City Police Department Asks Drivers to “Stop on Red” during National School Bus Safety Week
 
Culver City, Calif. – During National School Bus Safety Week Oct. 21-25, the Culver City Police Department is supporting efforts across the state to make sure children are safe taking the bus to and from school.
 
Held every year during the third week of October, National School Bus Safety Week is a way for parents, children, teachers, bus drivers, school officials and law enforcement to emphasize the importance of school bus safety. This year’s theme is "My School Bus, The Safest Form of Student Transportation!"
 
While riding the bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school, an alarming number of drivers illegally pass school buses which have their red lights activated. According to a 2016 survey by the California Department of Education, more than 26,000 drivers failed to stop for a school bus while students were getting on or off.
 
During National School Bus Safety Week, the Culver City Police Department will have additional officers around schools looking for drivers who do not stop for school buses with flashing red lights on.
 
California law requires drivers to stop from either direction when a school bus flashes red lights. Drivers must remain stopped as long as the red lights are on. Drivers who fail to stop face up to a $1,000 fine and could have their license suspended for one year. If a school bus is on a street with a raised or marked center median, or a street with two or more lanes in each direction, drivers on the opposite side of the street from the school bus are not required to stop, but should slow down and look for children.
 
“There is no excuse for passing a school bus that is stopped with red lights flashing,” Chief Scott Bixby said. “Red means stop. All drivers should be alert around schools, especially before school starts and after classes get out.”
 
School buses are the safest way for children to get to school. Teaching drivers and children to follow best safety practices will ensure that children are as safe as possible when traveling to and from school.
 
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.