Bus stops, you stop: RNC warns of stiff tickets for drivers who pass stopped school buses

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it has received several complaints of drivers passing stopped school buses on Commonwealth Avenue in Mount Pearl — causing police to worry about the safety of children.

"I've had [drivers] going the speed limit through the stop sign. So that alone would seriously harm — if not, kill — a small child," RNC Cst. Michael Hollett said Tuesday.

"I've had vehicles slow down to a near-stop. I've actually had one individual make a complete stop and then proceed past the bus with the stop sign out while children were exiting the bus," Hollett said.

"A lot of these children are very young and it only takes a second for them to run across the road. So this whole initiative is for our children's safety."

Hollett said he has personally handed out five tickets in the past week. The fine for such an offence is up to $1,200 and six demerit points.

According to a press release from the police, the registered owner of a vehicle can be ticketed if the driver cannot be identified.

"It's a pretty stiff ticket," Hollett said.

On Tuesday, the RNC partnered with the Mount Pearl municipal enforcement division to monitor the area with an officer in plain clothes on the side of Commonwealth Avenue and vehicles parked out of sight. 

Hollett said they only handed out one ticket and had good compliance that morning.

Know the rules

"Ultimately it would be nice not to give out any tickets, but the public just seems not to be aware of what to do when a school bus does activate its stop lights and the stop sign is fully extended," he said.

"People need to stop behind the bus and in the opposite direction."

In its press release, the RNC stated a few reminders:

• When you approach a school bus that has stopped to pick up or drop off children and is displaying a visual signal (such as flashing lights and/or a stop sign) you must stop before reaching the bus.
• This applies to traffic approaching the bus from the front or the rear.
• You must remain stopped until the bus is moving again and/or the bus driver deactivates the visual signals.
• On multi-lane roads, all traffic must stop in both directions.

Hollett said Commonwealth Avenue in particular might be confusing to drivers because it's a four-lane street. He said it's all about educating drivers.

"I guess it's the mentality of the public right now. Everybody is in a hurry to get somewhere. We just wish for the public to know and to realize that safety is our main concern," he said.

"If you see a school bus stop with its sign out [and] its lights illuminated, everybody has to stop — coming behind the bus, coming towards the bus, no matter what. Unless it's a complete separate roadway, which would be divided by a median or something like that, you have to stop. It's for the safety of the children."