Michigan Schools Buses Are Getting Even Safer For Students

I am not a parent, but I can imagine that one of the scariest things for them is putting their child on a school bus and hoping that they make it to school and back home safely every day. I can only imagine how nerve wracking that thought can be but for the most part, school buses are safe and protected. Although that is the case, there have still been a number of accidents.

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Living in Michigan means that winter will hit and that creates another level of concern for parents, guardians, bus drivers, and school officials. These are always hard decisions to make but school districts place student safety first. That's what leads us to the next hazard to children when riding a bus, other drivers on the road.

By law, drivers on both sides of the road must stop at least 20 feet away from a school bus that has its stop signs out and lights flashing. This has been a law for well over 20 years but there are still drivers who ignore the signs and lights and blow past a stopped bus and place students in danger.

That's why Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed Public Acts 161, 162, and 163 into law which will allow school buses in Michigan to be equipped with camera systems that can track cars and report license plates for the infraction. Then the fees from the violations will be sent to the school district to put towards upgrading transportation and making it safer for students.

The law as it once stood said that drivers on the opposite side of the street from the bus didn't have to stop if there was a barrier such as a grass or concrete median but now, those drivers will also have to stop if there is crosswalk or pedestrian walkway where the bus is stopped.