#STOPONRED for National School Bus Safety Week

To the Editor: 
This week (Oct. 16-20) is National School Bus Safety Week and the theme is #STOPONRED.
The theme is in part due to a dangerous trend we are seeing across the nation. School bus drivers, like me, along with parents and police officers, are reporting an increased number of impatient drivers breaking the law and passing school buses as children get on and off.
Just last year, more than 1,600 violation notices were issued to New Jersey motorists who recklessly failed to stop for a school bus. The reality is that number is significantly higher because these violations represent only those reported by school bus drivers or seen by police officers.
In fact, more than 13 million reckless drivers illegally pass stopped school buses across the country each year.
This epidemic is why myself, along with Dennis Township school officials, other bus drivers and staff are proud to be part of a statewide coalition of parents, school bus drivers, school boards, teachers, principals, and administrators and healthcare advocates who support S-211 and A-3798, legislation that would permit school districts and local municipalities to affix life-saving school bus arm safety cameras to the exterior of school buses.
The cameras would capture video of drivers illegally passing stopped buses as children are loading and unloading. Upon police review, they would use the video captured to ticket the driver.
The sad truth is that many drivers choose to break the law in such a dangerous manner because they think they can get away with it. Installing safety cameras to catch every driver who passes a school bus illegally will be an effective deterrent.
Data from around the country proves these cameras have a dramatic impact on reducing illegal school bus passing, including:
a. Onslow County, N.C.: 66 percent reduction in stop-arm violations.
b. Marietta, Ga.: 28.2 percent decrease in stop-arm violations after the first year of installing cameras.
c. Carroll County, Md.: 20 percent decrease in total violations.
S-211 passed the Senate 30-1 and both bills have unanimously passed two Assembly committees, and it is my hope Speaker Vincent Prieto will bring these bills to a floor vote and the full Assembly will follow suit so that Gov. Chris Christie can sign the bill into law before the session ends.
We can’t risk another child getting hit by an impatient driver before we do something. School bus arm safety cameras are effective deterrents and enforcement tools. School districts and law enforcement should be able to use them to help protect school children.