School Bus Safety
School bus safety is a high priority in Pennsylvania. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, transportation personnel and the motoring public all play important roles in keeping our children safe while on or around school buses. This is the reason why the North Coventry Township Police Department and Owen J. Roberts School District have partnered with BusPatrol. BusPatrol’s AI-Enabled Stop-Arm Camera School Bus Safety Program allows our community partners to make roads safer by capturing video of violators who do not stop for activated school bus red lights and stop arms. Our police officers review the video footage to determine if there is sufficient evidence that a violation had taken place under the Pennsylvania motor vehicle code. If a violation is confirmed, BusPatrol issues a notice of the violation to the vehicle owner.
The North Coventry Township Police Department encourages all motorists to be alert while driving their vehicles and be on the lookout for school buses slowing down and children getting on and off the bus.
Pennsylvania's School Bus Stopping Law
- Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
- Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
- Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
- If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
- Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
For more information on school bus safety please go to the following attached link provided by PENNDOT:
