Bus safety concern of schools, officers

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

With Van Wert City Schools just six weeks into the new school year, there have already been 40-50 instances where motorists have illegally passed district school buses. That’s a safety concern for the district, said Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton.

To help address the situation, the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol staged a bus ride-along event this week to make motorists more aware of the problem.

During the event, Sgt. Matt Gardner said a trooper was placed on a Van Wert school bus while another trooper followed the bus in a Patrol cruiser, with the two officers maintaining radio contact between them. That’s so the trooper in the bus can contact the cruiser if he sees a potential bus safety violation. 

The sergeant said the trooper on the bus will also talk with students on the bus to learn of any safety concerns they may have.

While noting that many of the violations are done by motorists either in a hurry or not paying attention, Sgt. Gardner added: “Going around a school bus to save 10 seconds isn’t worth hitting a kid.”

VWCS bus driver Ashley Saam said she has already seen six school bus traffic safety violations, but also noted that it is sometimes difficult for bus drivers concentrating on their driving to get information on the violators. That could change with the installation of stop-arm cameras on school buses, Clifton said, noting that one new VWCS bus already has a stop-arm camera, with others planned in the future.

Saam, an 11-year veteran bus driver, noted that drivers in a hurry put students at risk, noting that, four years ago, a driver weaved through parked cars while she was driving on Maple Avenue and passed her bus on the right side while a student was getting off the bus. Saam also spoke of another instance where a vehicle went onto the grass and passed a bus on the right side while both were driving past the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.

Saam said distracted drivers are also a concern and urged drivers to pay attention and get off their cell phones while driving — especially when driving near a school bus.

Fortunately, in addition to stop-arm cameras, many buses now have aides riding along who can take down information on bus safety violators’ vehicles. Driver Mike Ragan said an aide on his bus did that during a violation this year and the driver was cited the same day by Van Wert police.

Clifton was appreciative of the efforts of local law enforcement agencies to promote school bus safety.

“I just want to thank our Van Wert City Police Department, the State Highway Patrol, the Sheriff’s Office because they really do show a vested interest in trying to provide safety to all of our bus fleets,” he said.

Clifton also noted that Van Wert police “very visible” at school bus stop locations in the city when students are being picked up and dropped off.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Gardner said troopers would continue their ride-along events in all of the school districts in Van Wert and Paulding counties.