KIMBERLY, Idaho — As summer break winds down across Idaho, school buses will soon be a common sight on neighborhood roads. Law enforcement officials are reminding drivers about the importance of following safety rules around school buses to protect children.
In recent years, school bus stop violations have become a significant problem in Idaho communities.
"The potential for loss of life is significant," said Sgt. Ken Mencl from the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office.
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"Just alone at Kimberly we saw 80 stop violations," Mencl said. "We probably could've assigned somebody full-time just to focus on school bus stop violations and citing drivers after the fact."
Matthew Searby, Kimberly School District Bus Coordinator, believes awareness is key to preventing these dangerous situations.
"People should be aware," Searby said. "There's no reason not to be aware,"
Searby showed me some of the roads his drivers travel while transporting students.
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"You have so many electronics and screens inside vehicles now and people are sending text messages as we're driving, just trying to multitask when your sole task should, when you're behind the wheel, be driving," Searby said.
School buses throughout Idaho have been equipped with increasing amounts of technology to enhance student safety. These include cameras that capture images of violators as they pass, and extra illumination to clearly identify the vehicle as a school bus rather than other large vehicles like garbage trucks.
Mencl believes many drivers treat flashing yellow school bus lights the same way they treat yellow traffic lights — as a signal to speed up before the light turns red.
"This isn't like a traffic lighte," Mencl said. "We've got young kids. We got children on this bus. We want people to stop accordingly to keep them safe."
"A lot of it's a lack of attention, some of it's a lack of awareness, and some of it is motorists not really caring," Mencl added.
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