Bus Drivers Stress Importance of Following Safety Laws

Bus Drivers Stress Importance of 
Following Safety Laws

HASLETT - School is now in session, and cars will once again share the roads with school buses.

For eight years, Thomas Arntz, Haslett bus driver, has enjoyed taking kids to and from school every day. While his job is a rewarding one, he says there are still multiple challenges that bus drivers face when out on the road.

"Our biggest challenge is traffic flow, you know, cars, weather, has a lot of big challenge all the time, rainy weather."

But one of the biggest safety concerns that bus drivers see every day is cars running the overhead red lights. Once you see those lights come on, it means to slow down and stop 20 ft. away from the bus.

"Be aware that if the overhead lights are coming on, the overhead flashing lights are on, that the bus is about to make a stop. When a bus does stop, you always want to be watching to make sure the children are not crossing the road in front of the bus. That's one of the most dangerous situations we can have," said Arntz.

But that's not all that bus drivers need to worry about. Drivers must perform a safety check of their bus every day before hitting the road. This includes making sure that things like the engine, wheels and lights are all working properly.

"We really take pride in our safety here at Haslett and that's why we have great bus drivers, and it's a great place to live, and that's partly because the bus drivers are the first ones to see the kids in the morning and the last ones to see them at night," said Bill Sipola, Transportation Supervisor for Haslett Public Schools.

If a car fails to stop when the stop sign or flashing red lights are on, it could end in a hefty fine. Both Arntz and Sipola say that stopping for a school bus is still a law that every driver must abide to. If not, cops can and will write tickets.

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