A tough message

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About 14 of those violations carry a fine of up to

$1,000 and six points. A crackdown last fall at the beginning of the school year netted 59 citations, also in a five-county Upstate area.

Troopers are sending an appropriately tough message to motorists who could be putting the lives of students in danger, although it's likely that law enforcement is only fining a small percentage of violators. Reports by bus drivers suggest that as many as 650 motorists break school bus laws every day in the state.

Troopers have been following buses in marked or unmarked cars. The initiative began last fall in response to complaints from bus drivers and as a result of accidents involving buses or students walking to or from school. Four students were hit by cars in various incidents last year and a motorist slammed into the back of a bus, sending 11 Greenville High Academy students to the hospital.

Parents and teachers should encourage students to be careful when walking to and from a school bus, but children make mistakes. The onus is on motorists to be responsible and observe state laws around buses. Those who endanger children by ignoring the flashing lights of a school bus deserve a hefty fine.