LAKELAND – As mornings throughout the Lakeland region get cooler and foggier, there is one thing that drivers have to continue to watch out for – yellow and red.
The rate of what is referred to as “flybys” has been concerningly high this school year, says Matt Richter, the director of transportation for Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS).
“We still have the flybys, that’s where people are passing the buses with the red lights on. That is the greatest risk that we have that is still occurring,” explains Richter.
So far this year, the transportation department is averaging five reports a week of drivers failing to adhere to the stop signs and flashing lights of school buses. This is occurring both in rural areas and in the region's urban settings.
In previous years, the average was closer to three reports a week from across the Lakeland area, says Richter. The risks posed to students and drivers due to the concerning habit is high.
“I've been at this a long time and I have talked about it with other directors and I've seen it in articles across North America and it is puzzling why it still occurs,” says Richter.
Since the beginning of September, the uptick of flybys has been quite dramatic across the Lakeland.
“I'm at a loss because red is red and stop is stop,” he says. “It's just a numbers game before someone truly gets hurt or killed”
Alberta school buses are outfitted with intentionally bright lights, he adds. Amber lights warn drivers that the bus is going to stop, and then there are four sets of large flashing red lights to indicate the bus is stopped to load and unload passengers. Some buses also have stop sign arms that extend when the flashing lights are on.
“And it's a yellow vehicle to boot... I don't know how much more visible it can get.”
High price for failing to stop
For drivers who fail to stop for a school bus when its alternating flashing red lights are activated, the fine in Alberta is $543 and six demerit points are removed from the driver’s license.
The Alberta Sheriffs Branch stresses, “It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus as long as its red lights remain activated.”
In order to catch ‘flyby’ drivers, NLPS has installed external cameras on approximately 15 per cent of the division’s fleet. The majority of buses outfitted with cameras are generally placed on routes known for having “hot spots,” says Richter.
When the division is notified by bus drivers that a flyby has occurred, footage is pulled and video clips of the incident along with vehicle license plates are sent to the governing authority of the region. This could be given to municipalities, local police or RCMP, depending on the jurisdiction where the incident occurred, explains Richter.
The school division also collaborates with local law enforcement to stake out hot spots where driver flybys happen consistently.
“Unfortunately, there are locations where we know it’s almost guaranteed that someone is going to fly through,” he says.
Beyond advocating for Alberta Justice to increase fines so drivers take the rules more seriously, Richter says he doesn’t know what else can be done to make bus safety a priority for drivers.
“The sad part is, the school board is funding all the cameras and the cost of that. I'd rather put more buses on the road than (pay for cameras), but I got to keep the kids safe too.”
See yellow, slow down
Emphasizing driver safety around school buses, Richter adds, “If you see yellow, slow down... School buses are only going at a maximum speed of 90 km. A lot of people get upset because buses are slow, but it's actually provincial regulation. Many people aren't aware of this."
Take it slow, he implores.
“A lot of your friends and neighbours are on those buses. We all have a role to play in safety.”
