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Watch Out, The School Buses
Are Coming Back!
It will not be long before all of the shiny new Gwinnett Transit buses will
have to share the road with a bus that is somewhat better known. They may not
be as shiny, sleek or convenient, but the cargo that they carry is invaluable.
Furthermore, rider ship will not be an issue with these buses. The big yellow
buses are about to hit the roads again! I know that we have all had that
sinking feeling when we have gotten behind a school bus that stops every 15 feet
and it just so happens to be the very day that we are in the biggest hurry or
late for work. It never fails. Those are the days that we expand our language
base to those words that we should probably never use. I believe it goes
something like, "I wish that -(you fill in the blank) - bus would get out of the
way." Sound familiar?
Truthfully, it is these attitudes and more traffic in general, that have
caused so many school bus accidents on our roadways in recent years. The next
time
you try that stunt- driver pass or pull out in front of a bus to avoid
getting behind it, you might want to be a little familiar with the laws that you
have violated. Or, what could be of more importance to you, the fines that you
will be paying when you get caught. The Georgia State Patrol, as well as, our
local police have very little sympathy for drivers who violate the traffic laws
that govern and protect school buses. Like it or not, the buses have the right
of way in most cases.
Quite simply, Georgia law requires that when either meeting or behind a
school bus that is stopped with the required visual warning signals in place,
you must also come to a stop. There is only a small exception for this rule. If a
bus is stopped on a divided highway, the drivers on the highways opposite of
the bus, are not required to stop. But, as legalese often does, there is not a
clear definition of exactly what a divided highway is. It appears that a grassy
median is the only example of a divided highway that does not require you to
stop. So just to be safe and to steal from Johnnie Cochran's poetic
style, "if the lights are flashing, don't go passing." By law, the bus drivers are
authorized to report your tag number to the proper officials based on the
offense.
The registered owner will be fined for the offense whether they were driving
the vehicle or not. You might mention this fact to your teenage drivers. The
monetary fine for these violations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but
can be very expensive.
To put this topic on a more personal level, assume that each bus you see on
the road has your child aboard. Would you really take a chance on a quick pass,
or avoid stopping, if your recklessness led to the injury of your child? I do
not think so. We must hope that the drivers who are behind the bus that is
transporting our children accept this same approach. Obviously, from the past
accidents that we have seen, some are hesitant to adopt this policy. If time is
really of the essence for you, try to schedule your departures at either
before or after the local buses come through your area. The fifteen minutes that
you leave early may save you the thirty minutes that you might be late by having
to follow a bus through its route.
It is a simple formula. The more homes we build, the more kids we will have.
The more kids we have, the more schools will be built. The more schools we
build, the more buses we will add to the streets of Gwinnett County. Such is
life
in the big city. We do not have to like it, but it sure beats writing that
check to traffic court. Gentlemen (and ladies) start your engines! Just be sure
to slow them down when you see those big yellow buses.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your
next club or group meeting, please email contact
information to:
SHall BadgeNotes@aol.com
082203
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