The Porter County Traffic Safety Partnership (TSP) will be working to safeguard students as they get on and off the bus this spring, the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page.
Over the next couple of months in Porter County, beginning after most school systems’ spring break, officers will take positions along bus stops and routes specifically looking for stop-arm violations and dangerous driving, the Town of Chesterton said.
The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which was developed by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) and funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Officers will work with local school corporations and bus drivers to identify problem areas where the highest number of violations occur.
Thousands of bus drivers in Indiana participating in a survey reported more than 2,500 stop-arm violations in a single day, according to the Town of Chesterton.
“In Indiana, it’s against the law for motorists to pass a bus which has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended,” the Town of Chesterton said on its Facebook page. “This applies to all roads, with only one exception: On multi-lane roads divided by a physical barrier or unpaved median, vehicles traveling the opposite direction of the bus may proceed with due caution.”
ICJI Executive Director Devon McDonald said, “Always err on the side of caution when it comes to school bus safety. If you’re not sure what to do, just stop. The best way to think about it is to drive like it’s your child boarding or riding that bus.”
More information, including School Bus Safety tips, is provided on the Town of Chesterton Facebook Page.