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In a joint effort between the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol, several drivers were pulled over and ticketed for passing stopped school buses with blinking lights. The tip came from Twitter.

Gerald McDaniels of the Orange County Sheriff’s office said, “Drivers are not actually paying attention to what's going on, which is scary, because all it takes is one car to hit somebody else, and the cars go over into the school bus where the kids are at."

In Pasco County in November 2018, a dozen Florida drivers were ticketed after blowing past a stopped school bus on US-19. A group of concerned mothers recorded the police sting to catch the drivers. One of the local women uploaded the video to Facebook which was seen by more than 11 million people. The Facebook post said, “Thank you all for the support and shares and comments. Just remember stop for those buses.”

As a reminder to drivers, Florida statute 316.172 Traffic to stop for school bus says:

 (1)(a) Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle on or over the roads or highways of this state shall, upon approaching any school bus which displays a stop signal, bring such vehicle to a full stop while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not pass the school bus until the signal has been withdrawn. A person who violates this section commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318.

(b) Any person using, operating, or driving a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19.

(2) The driver of a vehicle upon a divided highway with an unpaved space of at least 5 feet, a raised median, or a physical barrier is not required to stop when traveling in the opposite direction of a school bus which is stopped in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(3) Every school bus shall stop as far to the right of the street as possible and shall display warning lights and stop signals as required by rules of the State Board of Education before discharging or loading passengers. When possible, a school bus shall not stop where the visibility is obscured for a distance of 200 feet either way from the bus.

“Our children’s safety when riding school buses is every driver’s responsibility. Too many children are injured or killed because drivers do not obey the law and stop when required. We at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. urge drivers to drive undistracted. The only thing drivers should be doing when behind the wheel is driving,” said Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney Randall Spivey. “If you or a loved one is injured in a vehicle accident, please contact us after seeking medical treatment. Our only concern is for the rights of our clients.”

Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney, Cape Coral Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.