Manitoba drivers caught zipping past stopped school buses
Manitobans twice as likely to speed past parked school buses than drivers in other prairie provinces
Manitoba drivers are more likely to illegally zip past stopped school buses than drivers in other provinces.
Teknisult, a Winnipeg company that makes cameras and software to track violations, has been recording the habits of drivers across the prairies in scenarios involving school buses.
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“Drivers here are more than twice as likely to break the law,” said Maurice Gregoire with Teknisult said. “It’s really bad.”
Gregoire said of the 10 buses being tracked, there’s been an average of five traffic violations recorded per day.
Ladine Klassen, a Winnipeg mother, was upset to hear about Teknisult’s results.
“I think that that’s terrible, because it is unsafe and the same message has been given to us over and over again about stopping if that stop sign is out,” said Klassen.
Anne Heinrichs, mother of three, said she sees drivers getting impatient when school buses have their flashing stop sign extended.
“I think drivers need to stick to the rules and if they can’t, they shouldn’t be driving,” said Heinrichs.
Winnipeg police have issued 17 tickets in 2014 to drivers speeding past parked school buses, down from 20 in 2013.
Meanwhile, the RCMP doled out 73 tickets in 2012, 83 tickets in 2013, and 55 tickets for the same offense in 2014, which costs unruly Manitoba drivers almost $700 – regardless of their driving record.