Two bus stop accidents in two weeks have made school bus safety a high priority in the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District. In light of the incidents, the West Windsor police say that the district’s transportation department is considering changing some bus routes so that children will no longer have to cross the street when getting on or off the bus. And police have mounted a public awareness campaign about the laws pertaining to stopped school buses, a campaign that has been backed up by selective enforcement at random bus stops during the month of December, looking for drivers passing stopped school buses, and issuing 5-point tickets for this violation.
“We have ramped up our efforts a notch, and are especially vigilant in areas with bus stops,” said Lieutenant Robert Garofalo. “Everyone needs to act in as safe a manner as possible — motorists, bus drivers, parents, and children, and it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure we are all as educated as is possible about roadway safety.”
The first incident occurred on Tuesday, November 28, at 4:36 p.m., when a child was struck by a car driving northbound on Southfield Avenue at the intersection of Stone Wall Avenue. The child, a student at High School South, had just exited the late school bus at the designated bus stop, and was hit while she was crossing Southfield Avenue. Police report that the student is now home and recovering from a broken leg.
The driver, West Windsor resident Rui Liao, 37, has been charged with assault by auto, reckless driving, and passing a school bus. Traffic was diverted for hours as police investigated the accident. Garofalo stated that the driver “was not texting, or talking on the phone. She just exercised extremely bad judgment.” He emphasized that the bus driver was not at fault and had been following all safety protocols.
Then on Wednesday, December 5, at 8:38 a.m. another child was struck by a car at a school bus stop. The accident occurred at the corner of Wessex Place, near Stillbrook Avenue, in the Princeton Mews Apartment complex. Officer Frank Latorre responded to the scene. He explained that the accident “involved two eight-year old boys who were racing each other to get to the bus stop first. One of the children turned abruptly and ran into the street just as a car was approaching the intersection.”
The driver, Elizabeth L. Lin, 41, also of West Windsor, struck the child as he stepped into the street. The child was taken to a nearby hospital, but suffered only minimal injuries, including scrapes, facial abrasions, and bruises. Lin’s car was not damaged.
Latorre interviewed several eyewitnesses to the accident, who, in the officer’s words, all agreed that Lin was driving “very slowly, more slowly than most people do on that road. She had no chance of stopping in time, and could not have avoided hitting the child.” In addition to the child’s sudden movements, a parked car that partially obstructed her view also contributed to the accident.
However, police reported that though Lin was driving carefully, she does not have a driver’s license, only a driving permit, and was driving on Wessex Place without a licensed driver in the vehicle with her. Lin is charged with driving on a permit without a licensed driver.
In explaining the police department’s targeted enforcement and public education campaign, Garofalo said “it is important that people exercise safe driving at all times, especially during times when children are heading to and from school: 7 to 9 a.m., and early afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.” During these times, the police are out in force in marked cars, low visibility cars (marked but without the flashing lights on top), and unmarked cars, primarily focusing on drivers who are speeding or violating school bus laws.
“People need to be reminded of the danger our children face when these laws are disregarded, and the best way is to make sure the violations don’t occur,” he stated.
He further explained that the police department is trying to educate the public about these laws. “The mere issuance of tickets is not enough: Enforcement is necessary, but education is critical. We can write tickets but that by itself doesn’t change anything. The person receiving the ticket is now educated as to the law, but there are a thousand other people who aren’t. The best way to prevent this type of accident is to make sure everyone knows the laws regarding school bus safety.”
To this end, Garofalo is utilizing numerous methods of getting the message across, such as social media sites, including the WWPD Facebook page, Twitter account, Nixle, and even Youtube. He is also relying on the press to spread the word. Garofalo believes strongly that it is important to be able to provide information in several ways, so that the message is received by the maximum number of people.
“Now, more than ever it is important to educate the public about bus safety laws. The population of West Windsor has changed — it has grown dramatically, and we have residents who come from many different areas. While people should know about these laws because they are on the New Jersey driver’s license test, that is simply not enough — they need to be reinforced so that people will remember them.”
He is also relying on old-fashioned word-of-mouth –– asking the public to pass the information along as well. “The public needs to be current on the rules of the road and practice safety first, especially when our kids are out there. Make sure to tell your friends.”
Garofalo provided an easy-to-understand synopsis of bus safety laws: “It is very important to pay attention and follow all traffic rules when driving around school buses. All school buses have flashing lights and a stop arm to alert you when to stop.”
Flashing Yellow Lights: Yellow lights will begin to flash to warn drivers that a bus is approaching a stop. This is your signal to slow down and prepare to stop.
Flashing Red Lights: If you are approaching a school bus from either direction with flashing red lights, you must stop at least 25 feet away from the bus. If you are driving on the opposite side of the road with a median in the middle, you must then slow down to 10 mph.
He emphasized that the most important rule to remember is that if you see the flashing red lights on the bus, you need to stop. You must always stop. Then — and only then — if you are on a divided highway with a barrier down the middle, you may proceed slowly — only after stopping first. Route 571 is not a divided highway, and drivers must stop when bus lights are flashing red on the other side of the street. An example of a divided highway is Route 1, or parts of New Village Road that have a grassy median in the middle.
The West Windsor Police Department will be issuing five-point tickets for this offense, which is by itself a significant penalty; only one traffic offense — causing personal injury — carries a higher point penalty. Twelve motor vehicle points are needed for a driver’s license to be suspended. In addition, violation of this law can carry additional penalties: a fine of not less than $100 and up to 15 days’ imprisonment or community service or both for the first offense; and a fine not less than $250, imprisonment of up to 15 days, or both for each subsequent offense.
Garofalo hopes the public awareness campaign will lessen these types of violations. He explained that one of the reasons the police department publishes accidents and road closures is to avoid more traffic situations and alleviate driver stress by providing alternate routes. Garofalo believes that “we have more cars on the road, more people, and more traffic. Times are tough, people have to get to work, and so people’s patience level goes down –– and then more accidents happen. We are trying everything to help avoid that situation.”
“The last thing we want to do is give people a five-point ticket, but we would rather do that than see a child get injured in an accident that could have been avoided,” he added. “The point of the public awareness campaign is to make sure these violations don’t occur to begin with.”
