The Bentonville School Board met Tuesday to review a troubling rise in the number of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, according to data from the district’s transportation department.District officials say bus drivers reported 113 stop-arm violations in October, up from 85 in September. Only about a third of those incidents were caught clearly on bus cameras — video quality is often affected by glare, rain or darkness.Under Arkansas law, drivers must stop at least 30 feet away from a school bus displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. Violators can face fines of up to $1,000, possible jail time, community service or a suspended license.“The only time you can ever pass a school bus that’s got the red lights or a stop sign would be if there’s a 25-foot median between you and the school bus,” said Cpl. Melissa Fox of the Bentonville Police Department.To combat the problem, Bentonville police have assigned two officers to unmarked vehicles that follow bus routes and monitor for violations. Fox said officers have completed six routes so far and witnessed one violation firsthand.Problem areas include Highway 72 in Centerton, Central Heights Way near the Walmart Home Office, and Moberly Lane near Delmar Apartments, according to the district.Parents have also voiced frustration about driver behavior. Melody Townsend, whose child rides the bus, said she’s seen drivers ignore stop signs regularly.“It’s constant,” Townsend said. “Last year I escalated to the point where I would just go stand out in the road whenever the bus was there because I was like, ‘well, you’re not going to hit me.’”The district is installing new LED stop arms and illuminated “School Bus” signs on its fleet to improve visibility. Some buses now feature four-foot LED extension arms, designed to make the stop sign harder to miss.“I think that is very smart,” Townsend said.“It does cost us maybe about a minute to be stuck behind a bus, but a minute’s not going to change anything if you’re already late,” Fox said.Tuesday night’s presentation is for information only, and no vote or policy change is expected. District leaders say they plan to continue sharing data with police and the community in hopes of reducing violations.
The Bentonville School Board met Tuesday to review a troubling rise in the number of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, according to data from the district’s transportation department.
District officials say bus drivers reported 113 stop-arm violations in October, up from 85 in September. Only about a third of those incidents were caught clearly on bus cameras — video quality is often affected by glare, rain or darkness.
Under Arkansas law, drivers must stop at least 30 feet away from a school bus displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. Violators can face fines of up to $1,000, possible jail time, community service or a suspended license.
“The only time you can ever pass a school bus that’s got the red lights or a stop sign would be if there’s a 25-foot median between you and the school bus,” said Cpl. Melissa Fox of the Bentonville Police Department.
To combat the problem, Bentonville police have assigned two officers to unmarked vehicles that follow bus routes and monitor for violations. Fox said officers have completed six routes so far and witnessed one violation firsthand.
Problem areas include Highway 72 in Centerton, Central Heights Way near the Walmart Home Office, and Moberly Lane near Delmar Apartments, according to the district.
Parents have also voiced frustration about driver behavior. Melody Townsend, whose child rides the bus, said she’s seen drivers ignore stop signs regularly.
“It’s constant,” Townsend said. “Last year I escalated to the point where I would just go stand out in the road whenever the bus was there because I was like, ‘well, you’re not going to hit me.’”
The district is installing new LED stop arms and illuminated “School Bus” signs on its fleet to improve visibility. Some buses now feature four-foot LED extension arms, designed to make the stop sign harder to miss.
“I think that is very smart,” Townsend said.
“It does cost us maybe about a minute to be stuck behind a bus, but a minute’s not going to change anything if you’re already late,” Fox said.
Tuesday night’s presentation is for information only, and no vote or policy change is expected. District leaders say they plan to continue sharing data with police and the community in hopes of reducing violations.
