KENOSHA, Wis. — For Steven Bennett, a bus driver at First Student in Kenosha, it's a scary scenario when drivers disregard school bus laws and don't stop for students getting on and off the bus.
"Frustrating when somebody drives through drive-through the reds. If it’s truly a near miss, I mean it it’s gut-wrenching," said Steven.
As a driver for more than 15 years, he said he sees people running the stop arm about every week.
"I get past multiple times per week," said Steven.
A school bus has two separate lights, flashing amber lights means to slow down and be prepared to stop.
When a school bus has a flashing red and a stop arm, that means the driver must stop a minimum of 20 feet away from the school bus.
All lanes of traffic in both directions must stop when on an undivided roadway. When on a divided highway separated by a median or grassy surface, only the vehicles traveling in the same direction must stop.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, no vehicle may proceed until the bus resumes motion and has turned off the red warning lights.
The stop arm on the bus is an added communication to other drivers, but the lack of an extended stop arm is no reason to pass a bus whose red lights are flashing.
According to the Wisconsin School Bus Association, stop-arm violations have increased over the years. A recent survey from 2022 showed an increase from 25% in 2019, to now 40% in 2022 in stop arm violations.
Steven said he loves his job, the students, and their families.
"It's a blast getting to know the kids," said Steven.
That's why he is pleading with others to do their part in keeping children safe.
"Just know that there’s kids on that bus and they need to give us a moment, they need to stop and be safe for us," said Steven.
First Student is currently hiring, for more informationclick here.
