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Safety Campaign For School Buses

Red Light Runner Cameras Added To Buses

Feb 21, 2019 | 4:00 PM

School District 83 has launched a school bus safety campaign.

It’s in response to over two dozen incidents of vehicles passing school buses when their red lights were on, hitting buses, and other close calls.

Several buses have been equipped with “red light runner” cameras, and police will be providing enforcement and riding along on some buses.

“In September 2018, three of our new buses came equipped with the red light runner cameras, and we are looking into adding them to another dozen of our newer buses,” says Transportation Manager Andrea Kathrein.

Kathrein told the board that in just 19 school days in January a total of 32 red light runners were reported: three in the Armstrong area; seven in Enderby; one in North Shuswap, eight in Salmon Arm; two in Silver Creek; and 11 in the Tappen/Blind Bay/White Lake area.

The District also will be running two weeks of radio commercials expressing the importance of stopping for a school bus with red lights activated (We Stop – You Stop), asking drivers not to rush the bus, and to ensure they are not driving distracted around a school bus.

There will also be coffee cup sleeves at participating restaurants with “to go” mugs at 19 locations throughout the district.