Topeka, Kan. (KSNW) – Kansas Governor, Laura Kelly has designated October 21 as School Transportation Day to honor the dedication and expertise of Kansas bus drivers who play an important role in the safety of Kansas children.
There were 4,043 bus drivers during the 2019-2020 school year who transported 223,705 Kansas students more than 60.5 million miles.
The day coincides with National School Bus Safety Week, which is Oct. 19-23. National School Bus Safety Week is designed to promote school bus safety.
The theme for the 2020 campaign is “Red Lights Mean STOP!” derived from a 2019 national poster contest. The winning poster depicts a student getting on a school bus and was drawn by Bryan Torres-Tavarez a High School Senior at Stars Academy in Paterson, New Jersey.
Kansas law requires all motorists to stop when approaching or overtaking a stopped school bus displaying its flashing red lights and stop arm. Motorists are to remain stopped until the bus is no longer displaying its flashing red lights and stop arm. Violation of the law is punishable by a fine and court costs in excess of $420.
In April 2019, Kansas bus drivers reported 1,040 stop-arm violations. The data was collected from 220 districts and 3,300 buses during the Kansas One-Day Stop-Arm Violation survey in 2019. In April 2018, 214 districts and 3,347 buses participated and reported 1,030 stop-arm violations.
The Kansas State Department of Education invites the state of Kansas to help celebrate the men and women who sit behind the wheel of school buses and dedicate their time and talent to keep Kansas students safe.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the safety of our students,” said Keith Dreiling, director of KSDE’s School Bus Safety Unit. “School buses are safe, but we know that student passengers are most vulnerable outside of the bus – that’s why it’s so important for everyone to obey the stop arm law. School bus drivers play an important role in the safety of our students, too.”