Patrols Accompanying School Buses on Routes

Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard announces Deputies will be taking part in Operation Safe Stop Thursday, May 2.  The Sheriff’s Office will have Deputies from the Traffic Unit as well as School Resource Officers patrolling selected bus routes within the Sheriff’s primary patrol districts that have a history of illegal passing complaints. 

Operation Safe Stop’s statewide enforcement against passing stopped school buses will be conducted on Thursday with patrols in the morning and afternoon.  The Deputies will focus on the dangerous driving behavior of illegally passing stopped school buses, which put our children at risk of injury and possible death and strict enforcement of vehicle and traffic laws protecting our children and school buses.

The Sheriff’s Office has participated in Operation Safe Stop Day since October 2003. Since the inception of this partnership, law enforcement agencies, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, and other organizations have been active in coordinating this traffic safety initiative. The goal of Operation Safe Stop is to end fatalities and reduce personal injuries of schoolchildren with highly visible enforcement and educating motorists of the laws against illegally passing stopped school buses.

Penalties for passing a stopped school bus range from:

First conviction – fine of $250.00 - $400.00; up to 30 days in jail; 5 points

Second Conviction (within 3-years) – fine of $600.00 - $750.00; up to 180 days in jail

Third or subsequent conviction (within 3-years) – $750.00 - $1000.00; up to 180 days in jail

The New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee estimates 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass school buses every day.