National School Bus Safety Week Through Oct. 23

About a week ago, I was doing a live broadcast from Dean Transportation on Aurelius Rd. in Lansing.

The live broadcast was focusing on hiring new bus drivers for the surrounding areas. During the broadcast, we talked about safety and how important it is when it comes to  taking the bus to school.

Even though a lot of kids are staying home and taking online classes during the coronavirus pandemic, there are kids who are taking the bus to and from school Monday through Friday.

According to WILX, police in Michigan are paying extra attention to how drivers interact with school buses this week.

"Operation Safe Stop" is part of National School Bus Safety Week which runs through this Friday, Oct. 23.

The importance of this campaign is to get drivers to stop when they see flashing lights and the extended stop sign on a school bus. Drivers should prepare to stop when they see flashing yellow lights, and stop at least 20 feet away from a bus when the lights flash red. (WILX)

Police say every day in Michigan nearly 500 people illegally pass a school bus.

This is about keeping our children safe at all times, especially when it comes to stopping when you see the red flashing lights come out on school buses.

There are too many distracted drivers these days who don't pay attention to road signs or for that matter, anything that demands complete focus.

The other day I was at a traffic light that just turned green, so as I started to proceed across the intersection, I watched a driver go through a stop light without any hesitation whatsoever. Had I crossed the intersection, that car would have crashed right into my vehicle.

Every time a driver ignores the flashing lights or stop arm of a bus, they are putting a students life in danger. Operation Safe Stop will help keep students safe and will educate drivers on how to safely share the road with buses. (WILX)