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Article published Aug 8, 2003
Change in school bus law worries parents
Associated Press
COLUMBIA -- A new state law that prohibits
school bus drivers from allowing children to cross multilane roads also means
changes for South Carolina drivers.The law, which took effect this month, allows
drivers to pass school buses stopped on the opposite side of highways with four
lanes or more.It remains illegal to pass a stopped school bus from either
direction on two-lane roads. The penalty is a $1,000 fine and 30 days in
jail.The state Education Department teamed with the Highway Patrol to push for
the change that says students now must board the bus and be unloaded next to the
curb."Changing this law is the only thing that makes safety sense," said Don
Tudor, director of school bus transportation for the Education Department. "The
way the (old) law was written -- and having to explain to motorists when to stop
-- was confusing."While the change in the law was meant to protect children,
some critics say it might endanger them.But Chuck Saylors, president of the
statewide Parent-Teacher Association, calls the change "crazy.""Until now, if a
bus stopped, you stopped," said Saylors, who also is on the Greenville County
school board."What's going to happen is the general public is going to lose the
details in the (new) law and somewhere, someone is going to be going down a
two-lane road and forget the law and hit a child."Some school transportation
officials also worry the new law might lead to a child being struck."I think it
makes it more complicated for drivers," said Wendell Shelton, head of bus
transportation in Richland 2. "We don't have a significant problem with people
running stop arms. I hope this law won't change that."Stopped school buses are
required to use flashing lights and a device, called a stop arm, that signals
students are getting on or off."I don't like the change," said Beth Ebener,
mother of two elementary school boys and a member of the Lexington 2 school
board."I feel like they've made it less safe on the four-lanes ... because
children are unpredictable," Ebener said. "I think the traffic should stop (in
all directions). If my children were getting off on a four-lane road, I'd be
scared to death until they got home."The new law makes other changes.For the
first time, it makes it illegal to pass a stopped school bus on private roads,
Tudor said.For example, drivers in subdivisions that maintain their own roads
can be convicted of passing a stopped school bus regardless of the width of the
road.Saylors said he wants to team with the Highway Patrol on a more extensive
public education campaign.