According to state records, *over the past five years, 25,136 Pennsylvania drivers have been cited for school zone violations, including 8,302 for overtaking or illegally passing a school bus.
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) to enhance school bus safety and better protect children traveling to and from school has been approved by the Senate, yet the state House has yet to take up the measure and put it to a vote.
State Senator Frank Farry (R-Bucks) is a bill co-sponsor.
Baker who heads Senate’s Judiciary Committee said Senate Bill 65 increases the required stopping distance for drivers approaching from the opposite direction when a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing, expanding the buffer from 10 feet to 15 feet. It also raises penalties for violations, including higher fines and license suspensions for repeat offenders, and mandates additional driver education or examinations.
“By strengthening penalties and tightening safety requirements, we are sending a clear message that reckless driving around school buses will not be tolerated,” Baker said.
Current law does not penalize repeat offenders.
The Senate unanimously passed the bill last September.
With the start of a new school year nearly a year later, it still awaits a vote by the full House of Representatives, Baker said.
The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania breaks down the citation numbers from last year here.