AT MY STOP YOU STOP!.

Stopping and waiting for a school bus to load and unload is a state law. Protecting students should be first and foremost on all drivers’ minds, but a lot of the time it is not. That is why the legislators passed this law to protect school kids.

There are serious problems about passing a school bus. The law requires cars to stop on both sides of the road. The safety of kids is a priority and in rural areas is downright scary with drivers ignoring this law. The ones on the front lines, the school bus drivers, took their complaints to the Wimberley Independent School District and the complaints did not go unheeded. Superintendent Dwain York contacted the Hays County Precinct 3 Constable Ray Helm and discussed the problem.

“Some of the roads are so narrow and so dangerous. The stops they (bus drivers) have to make on roads FM 3237, Ranch Road 12, on FM 2523 sometime have no place that’s safe,” York said.

After a few talks between WISD and Constable Helm’s department, a full bus patrol was instituted in the spring of 2017 and is ongoing today. “The program has only one goal – compliance. We want people to comply with loading and unloading children from buses,” Helm said.

Patrols watch the loading/unloading of school buses and have issued violations to offenders who pass a stopped bus. It is one of those jobs that the deputies do not like, but find it necessary.

“Traffic is getting hectic at times, passing school buses is a chronic problem…the deputies are actively enforcing passing school buses, there are still passing cars. We have done all you can do,” Constable Helm said. The first violation costs $562.10 including court costs.

“We’ve written about 80 to 100 tickets, and one is too many.”

Riding with Sgt. Gary Griffin on bus patrol duty to see the problem firsthand happened, with permission from the Constable. Car #8302 would be used and the route of bus #23 would be followed.

“I’d be happy if you didn’t catch anybody” were Constable Helm’s parting words. But that was not what actually happened. Sitting in the police vehicle, watching and waiting for bus #23 at the Mountain Plaza, across the street from Chapel in the Hills. There was no waiting.

Thirty seconds after the bus arrived, the first perp (police talk for perpetrator) arrived and passed the northbound bus in the far right south lane of Ranch Road 12. This is a misdemeanor.

According to the Texas Transportation Code: An operator on a highway, when approaching from either direction a school bus stopped on the highway to receive or discharge a student:

(1) Shall stop before reaching the school bus when the bus is operating a visual signal as required by Section 547.701; and is considered a misdemeanor. (TRANSP § 545.066. Passing a School Bus; Offense).

Flashing red lights is all that is needed although buses in Wimberley also have the little red stop sign that come out when the lights are flashing. It is permissible to pass if the highway is divided with a median strip, but there are no roads in Wimberley that meet that description. It has to be a permanent barrier like those that divide an interstate highway, or cement medians. If a school bus is stopped while unloading children in Wimberley, the drivers on both sides of that road must be stopped also. This is even true on Highway 290 in Dripping Springs.

Technology has helped the officers by provide a visual record of the violation.

“You almost need video, dash-cam or body cam, because it is critical to have a successful mitigation in a court case. Otherwise it is my word against your word,” Sgt. Gary Griffin said. “It is a hefty ticket that is non-negotiable. It is a serious issue with a limited ability to reduce the fine. It is a Class C Misdemeanor.”

First violation is $500 plus court costs (+$62.10), second is $1250 and third violation is $2000. This is a costly mistake made by not stopping and endangering the lives of school children.

“But the number of violators continues to occur,” Griffin said. “It is not visitors but local people doing this law breaking.” As for the violator, she was stopped and received a ticket, her first offense ever, but was not wearing her glasses as prescribed by law and received a violation for that also.

Remember, when the school year is in session, every driver must stop when a school bus is flashing its lights and is stopped, even if it is a four-lane highway. Trying to project what a school-aged student would do in any situation is risky. Be safe and stop as prescribed by law.

Post script: The following day, pictures were needed of the violation site for the paper. At the exact same spot, at about the same time, another perp was caught just as fast as the previous day. Please stop for school bus loading and unloading.