As parents, we expect a certain level of safety when we see our kids off at the bus stop. We expect that the bus will stop safety, the lights and stop signs will alert drivers to stop, the children will board the bus safely and take their seats, and then the bus will pull off and arrive at school safely. When things deviate from our expectations, we are naturally angered and concerned for our children’s safety.
The report of a driver blowing by a bus’ stop signals in Washington state is a glaring example of the need for drivers to use reasonable care while behind the wheel. Not only is there a practical obligation for drivers to obey traffic laws, there is a legal obligation as well. Essentially, a traffic violation could be used to show that an offending driver did not use reasonable care and that it was the proximate cause of an accident that caused a person to be injured.
This could leave the offending driver liable and subject him or her to monetary damages.
Nevertheless, it appears that a number of drivers are disregarding school bus safety signs. According to an ABC News.com report, school bus drivers in 29 states have witnessed similar safety violations. In fact, in one day, drivers collectively reported 76,000 violations. It brings concerns about just how many drivers are not aware of their obligations around school buses, or whether they are not paying attention to the road, like we mentioned in a prior post.