By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Early this year, the Kansas State Department of Education, in a request by the Kansas Highway Patrol, asked the state’s 286 school districts to voluntarily take part in a school bus safety awareness project. The purpose of the project was to raise awareness about illegal passing of school buses by motorists.

Hays USD 489 was one of 57 districts to volunteer between Jan. 23 and March 3, 2017. In those 30 school days, 40 motorists illegally passed stopped Hays school buses.

“We don’t want any children getting off the bus to get hurt,” said Russ Henningsen, USD 489 Director of Transportation. “It’s state law traffic must stop in both directions when a stopped school bus is displaying its flashing red lights and stop sign arm.”

The only exception is on a divided highway, such as Interstate 70, when only same-direction traffic overtaking the bus is required to stop. USD 489 doesn’t make any stops on I-70, according to Henningsen.

“Basically, anywhere in the city limits of Hays including Vine Street, if the stop sign is out, motorists in both directions must stop,” Henningsen explained. Once the bus is no longer displaying its flashing red lights and stop arm, traffic may proceed.

The Hays school buses also routes outside city limits on Highway 183 and near the airport on east Highway 40, where traffic is traveling much faster. “We don’t make any stops on Highway 183, but on Highway 40, we have no choice. We have to make a couple stops there.”

“A lot of people run our stop signs out there,” Henningsen reported. Most of the incidents of illegal passing reported to the state this year by USD 489 occurred on Highway 40.

“No matter if it’s city, state, or county roads, they all apply under state law. In town, our bus drivers are going 20 to 30 mph. On the highway that can be up to 50 mph, so it’s a lot more dangerous out in the county than it is in Hays.”

When a bus driver sees a vehicle about to go around the bus, “we get very nervous about the children’s safety,” he said.

“We want to be as safe as we can transporting very precious inventory. The students are either very happy to be getting home or excited to arrive at school and may not be paying attention to vehicles on the road.”

With the fall semester starting later this week in Hays, Henningsen reminds motorists to also watch for students walking and riding their bikes to and from school.

Henningsen wants to make sure drivers are aware of the Kansas law.  “We all need to be extra careful to help the kids out. It’s a very serious issue.”

He reminds drivers Hays school buses must also stop before a train crossing. “Twice in one week two different buses were rear-ended at a railroad crossing and we do have the four-way flashing lights on to warn drivers before we stop.”

Hays school buses are typically on the road from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. picking students up for school and again in the afternoon from 3 to 4:30 p.m. delivering them back home. During regular school hours they may be driving students between schools or on field trips, and in the evenings traveling for sporting events.  “We’re running around at all times,” Henningsen said. “It is more than just going to and from school.”

Drivers who are caught going around a stopped school bus will be fined.

“We’re in communications with the Kansas Highway Patrol, Ellis County Sheriff and Hays Police Department after one of our drivers sees a violating motorist. They work with us to find violators,” Henningsen said. The bus drivers sometimes are able to pass along a vehicle description or even a tag number. They’ll fill out a state-provided form and pass it along to local law enforcement.

“Hays police will either call or go to the offender’s residence and talk to them about being reported for not stopping. If it happens a second time, the violator is often issued a ticket,” Henningsen said.  There are areas along the Hays bus routes where the bus stop arms are commonly ignored and USD 489 sometimes asks HPD to watch for violators in action.

“People are in too much of a hurry, distracted by cell phones and they’re just not taking their time,” Henningsen believes.

According to state law, violations are punishable by a fine and court costs in excess of $420.