Although the end of the school year is fast approaching, Const. Andrew Conrad continues to battle a safety problem confronted by students in his district and other areas of HRM when they get on and off school buses.
The problem of drivers not stopping for school buses is an issue in other areas of HRM, including Bedford where police have conducted a number of traffic checks on Hammonds Plains Road to remind drivers that it's illegal to pass school buses flashing red safety lights.
Conrad is the Community Response Officer, or CRO, for Spryfield and the Sambro loop, a big territory bisected by Herring Cove Road. The road, which grows to four lanes in some areas, is the main thoroughfare for school buses traversing the area and the source of much concern for Conrad and the parents of school children using the buses.
Passing stopped school buses continues to be serious concern for parents in Conrad's area who frequently tell him about drivers passing buses despite the yellow and red flashing warning lights.
In one section of Herring Cove Road near Sylvia Avenue, two buses frequently stop at once, one headed inbound, the other headed towards Sambro.
"People still pull out and pass the buses," Conrad said. "It's quite serious because a child is going to get hurt or killed because someone isn't paying attention to the buses."
Not stopping for school buses flashing yellow or red lights is a serious infraction. A first offence will carry a fine of $397.71 and six points on your licence.
"I don't like writing tickets but this is my biggest pet peeve," he said. "But this is about the safety of children."
Police have tried to educate people about school bus safety but are frequently confronted with people who just ignore the buses.
"We could be out here every day and every day we could write tickets," Conrad said.
As if to punctuate that, Conrad's colleague, Cst. George Farmer, pulls out to nab two drivers who've just passed a stopped school bus despite red lights flashing and a furious school bus driver waving and honking her horn to grab their attention.
Farmer returns minutes later and holds up both tickets. The drivers told him they didn't notice the bus.
"We've been monitoring this since February," Farmer said. "And we're still writing tickets."
When police monitor the bus stops they don't hide. Conrad is driving a marked police SUV positioned in a parking lot off the road visible to traffic, hoping drivers will be more alert once they see him.
His main concern is the safety of the children riding the bus and to drive home the message that school bus safety is a concern all year round.
"Could you imagine being the police officer who has to go to someone's home and tell the parents their child was killed getting off a school bus? Can you imagine being the driver? "Conrad said. "People just have to pay attention."
- Be aware of the times school buses are in your area and time your trip accordingly to avoid getting behind a bus.
- School buses will flash yellow lights well before coming to a complete stop and showing flashing red lights. Traffic is required to stop in all directions when the red lights flash.
- If a school bus stops on a multi-lane road with its red lights flashing, all
lanes of traffic must come to a complete stop.
- Be patient and allow the bus to complete delivering or picking up children.
- Obey traffic rules
