GCPD Reminder On School Bus Safety

The Garden City Police Department has recently received inquiries from parents regarding school bus safety.

According to the New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law it is illegal to pass a school bus when it is stopped and has its red lights flashing. This means that any vehicle that is traveling on the same road as the school bus (i.e. approaching the bus from either its front or its rear) must stop. Note: as per the New York Department of Motor Vehicles and case law, motorists traveling perpendicular to the bus (that is on an intersecting road) are not required to stop.

The first time fine for passing a stopped school bus in Garden City is $355 and/or possibly thirty days in the county jail, as well as five (5) points on your license.

As recently exampled by the unfortunate tragedy in North Amityville the most dangerous part of a child ' s ride on the school bus is getting on or getting off the school bus. Garden City Police Commissioner Ernest J. Cipullo would like to stress to all motorists and parents to be aware of the "Danger Zone" of a school bus. The "Danger Zone" is the immediate ten feet surrounding the bus. This is the area where the child may be in the driver's blind spot and unable to be seen by the bus driver. Drivers approaching a stopped school bus should be very aware of this area and should scan this area more thoroughly for children. In addition, parents should educate their children that after exiting the school bus they should walk as far away from the bus, so that the driver may see them, as possible and stay there until the bus has driven away. Commissioner Cipullo adds "Parents should be at a bus stop to pick up their children before the scheduled time of arrival of the bus. Parents should also instruct their children to walk to the sidewalk after exiting a bus and to wave or yell to the bus driver if they are upset that their parent is not present or if they have dropped something near the bus. Children should not go back to the bus unless the bus driver instructs them to."