Most of us have heard stories of people who talked about how far they had to walk to school back when they attended school. Today, most students arrive at school on the school bus. Not only is it convenient, but it helps school parking lots not be crowded with parents driving their children to school.
When children walk out of their homes, their parents expect them to arrive safely to school. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in Indiana earlier this school year, and children lost their lives waiting for the school bus. WNDU 16 reported:
Alyssa Shepherd, 24, didn’t stop her truck when 4 kids crossed the road to get on their school bus, even though the stop arm was lowered, telling drivers not to continue.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure our children get to and from school safely,” Sergeant Tony Slocum said. “And when it doesn’t happen, which it did not in this case, it’s heartbreaking.”
Police say it happened so fast with little time to react for three siblings, twin 6-year-olds Xzavier and Mason Ingle and their 9-year-old sister Alivia Stahl.
This family lost three children, and their family will never be the same. It is important to prevent future tragedies of this nature.
During this legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill to increase consequences for drivers who ignore school bus stop signs. According to the Indy Star, “Provisions still in the bill would raise the penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus. It would also require school districts, when possible, to only drop off and pick up students on the right side of the road when their bus stops are along U.S. or state highways.”
It is better to be late to where you are going than to drive by a school bus with the stop sign flashing. Hopefully, this bill will make drivers think twice before driving by a school bus that is stopped waiting for children to get on board.