What to Know
- Bensalem Police officers will now ride on school buses in order to crack down on drivers who speed through flashing stop lights while children get on and off the bus.
- Drivers who are caught ignoring the flashing stop signals will face a $250 fine, 60-day suspension of their driver’s license and five points off their license.
- The initiative was announced less than a week after a woman was charged with driving while under the influence and striking a 12-year-old girl who was crossing the street to board a school bus.
Bensalem Police officers will now ride on school buses in order to crack down on drivers who speed through flashing stop lights while children get on and off the bus.
On Tuesday, officials announced a new safety initiative in which Bensalem officers on school buses will monitor nearby drivers and notify a trailing police vehicle whenever a driver fails to stop for the flashing signals on the bus.
Those who are cited will face a $250 fine, 60-day suspension of their driver’s license and five points off their license.
The initiative was announced less than a week after a woman was arrested for allegedly driving a pickup truck while under the influence and striking a 12-year-old girl who was crossing the street to board a school bus in Bensalem.
Under Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 3345, the driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking any school bus stopped on a highway or trafficway must stop at least ten feet before reaching the school bus when the red signal lights are flashing and the side stop signal arms are activated.
The driver can’t proceed until the lights stop flashing and the children boarding or getting off the bus are out of harm’s way.
