March 3, 2008
Albany -- Hundreds of students enter the doors of a school bus during the week. "Some of the challenges the drivers have is all the other children. They got to look out for the traffic," said Transportation Director, Willie Griffin.
"They have cameras. We have all kinds of lighting systems to help the drivers and to make sure the children are safe, make sure that the children are in the seats. A lot of people don't pay attention to a school bus.
We have a number of accidents every year because people just run into the back of a school bus parked at a railroad crossing or sitting still. People are in a hurry some of them have their radio loud or are just talking on a cell phone. So many different things they do and their minds are else where. "
And if students are the cause of the distractions.
"They are trained to separate, but not physically separate. If there is a fight, you move one to the front or one to the back until we get to school and write it up," said Griffin.
But in case of an emergency drivers are trained to handle them. "No matter who small an accident with a bus is, they have to report it. They have to call it in and report it to the state," said Griffin.
"And When you call it in, we get campus police. If its in the city or the county then we call the police."Because your life and the life of a child may be on the line.
It is Georgia law that all drivers on all sides of the road must stop if a school bus stop sign is out. The only time you don't have to stop is if there is a median between your car and the school bus.
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