Safety is a priority when it comes to transporting students and we all play a role in keeping kids safe! Gwinnett County Public Schools would like to remind drivers of the rules they must follow when they encounter a school bus on the roadway. This state law (2019) is designed to help keep children safe when they are loading or unloading school buses. In addition to raising awareness regarding bus safety and laws for drivers, GCPS has placed cameras on buses as a deterrent for drivers who illegally pass school buses. When the school bus amber or red lights are flashing, the system—mounted on the bus “stop arm”—automatically detects vehicles passing the stopped school bus, and records the violation. The violator will receive a citation in the mail. The district has approximately 300 buses with cameras this school year. In a typical school year, thousands of violations are recorded… violations that put schoolchildren at risk.
All drivers should be aware of speed limits in school zones and decrease their speed when lights are flashing. Several municipalities in Gwinnett County are using traffic cameras in school zones (for both public and private schools) to catch and ticket motorists driving above the speed limit in school zones. To keep our car riders and walkers safe, we ask parents to follow the school’s directions for safe drop-off and pick-up and be extra vigilant in school parking lots and on neighborhood roads around schools. In addition, drivers should keep an eye out for children walking to and from school and using school crosswalks.
Working together, we can ensure everyone makes it to and from school safely!