TRAVELERS’ CHECK : Bus safety ideas sought by legislator
Posted on Monday, December 1, 2008
State Sen. Kim Hendren, RGravette, aims to make every driver stop for buses loading and unloading schoolchildren.
Good luck with that, senator. You’re going to need it.
Hendren said he’s certain he’ll pursue ways to make vehicles stop for buses during next year’s legislative session, but he’s less certain exactly which ideas he’ll pitch.
“We haven’t had any bills drafted yet, but we’re getting ready to,” Hendren said.
With some help from Hendren and a few other people, The Guru tried to figure what the Arkansas Legislature can do — if anything — to make kids riding buses safer.
Front license plate: Hendren isn’t hip to the idea of front license plates on all motor vehicles after learning how much it would cost, but the idea was discussed during joint meetings of House and Senate transportation committees in January and March. Front plates would help bus drivers identify cars.
It would cost $ 9. 3 million to switch to a two-plate system, and an extra $ 1. 13 million annually after that, said Roger Duren, motor vehicle administrator for the state Department of Finance and Administration.
Cost makes dual plates unlikely in Arkansas.
“Stop” notices. Missouri buses carry words on the back to tell drivers they must stop — as if they don’t know.
Hendren loves the idea, and he said he’s certain he’ll push for Arkansas buses to carry similar words. Mike Simmons, the state’s senior school bus transportation manager, isn’t sold on the idea.
“You’ve got a 45-foot-long yellow bus with flashing lights and a stop sign on the side,” Simmons said. “I don’t know if education would change anything.”
Cameras: The Huntsville School District has four video cameras on each bus, and the main purpose is student discipline, said Rick Land, a school administrator.
A camera with a wideangle lens points out the front and sees oncoming vehicles.
Land said the district’s school resource officer receives two or three reports a month about drivers who pass stopped buses. It’s difficult to identify the driver, even with video, Land said.
Hendren is interested in a pilot program in a few districts to see if cameras should be used more widely. Video would be evidence for prosecutors.
“Do not pass” signs. Alabama buses have electronic signs on the back door to tell drivers to “stop — do not pass.” They warn when a bus is about to stop, too.
The trouble with the device, which costs $ 300, is its location. Drivers following buses aren’t the issue; drivers coming in the opposite direction are the ones passing stopped buses.
Deputizing bus drivers. Bentonville Superintendent Gary Compton mentioned the idea to Hendren, but Compton said he’s not in favor of turning bus drivers into deputies.
“Everyone on the planet knows you are not to pass a stopped and flashing school bus, and, just like any other traffic violation, this whole thing is best left to law enforcement,” Compton wrote in an e-mail.
Calling the senator. The Guru has permission to share Hendren’s cell phone number with his readers, who are brilliant and sure to have fresh ideas. It’s (479 ) 790-5600.
Don’t sweat the gruff voice. It’s nothing personal. It’s just how Hendren sounds. Robert J. Smith’s column about people on the move in Northwest Arkansas appears each Monday. He can be reached at rsmith@arkansasonline. com.
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