South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

State officials recently conducted school bus safety week October 17-21 as a reminder to motorists to use extra caution during morning and afternoon commutes to avoid a collision causing serious injuries from a school bus accident in Fort Myers.

A recent bus accident in St. Johns County is an example of how morning commutes can be tricky and sometimes difficult to see a stopped school bus. Motorists need to avoid distractions so that every bit of focus can be placed on the roadway and other vehicles. First Coast News reports 13 elementary students were delayed getting to school when a Honda Accord hit their school bus from behind.

The school bus was idle with lights flashing and stop arm stretched while picking up children when the driver in the Accord failed to see the bus due to sun glare. The driver attempted to swerve at the last minute which could have made the accident potentially more dangerous but instead hit the rear of the bus where his vehicle became wedged under the back end. The bus driver had to be taken to an area hospital, but no children were hurt in the accident. The driver of the vehicle was cited for careless driving.

Boca Raton school bus accident attorneys know how easy it is to get distracted during commutes to and from work but as traffic congestion begins to pick up with holiday shopping and tourist season right around the corner, motorists need to stay attentive. A collision with a school bus or other passenger vehicle can be harmful to small children and put several people at risk of injury.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that school buses are illegally passed by Florida motorists almost 2 million times annually and roughly 8,900 illegal pass-by's occur daily. Knowing when it is permissible to pass can reduce the risk of injury for children getting on and off the bus.

The Stop on Red, Kids Ahead campaign is meant to create awareness and educate motorists of the law when approaching a school bus. Florida law requires that all drivers must stop when approaching a school bus from behind or head-on when the bus has flashing lights and has the stop arm extended. The moving violation will result in the following penalties:
-Left hand pass: $165 penalty for the first offense. Any other offense within five years will result in $165 fine plus loss of driver's license for 3 to 6 months.
-Right hand pass: A penalty of $265 will be assessed for a first offense and subsequent offenses within the next 5 years. A second or subsequent offense will also require a mandatory hearing and be subject to license suspension for a minimum of 6 months up to a year.
-Violators will be required to take a driver improvement course within 90 days of receiving notice or risk having their driver's license canceled.
-Any motorists making an illegal pass on the right or left will have four points added to their license. Stiffer points will be assessed for multiple violations within 3 years of committing the first offense.

Motorists are reminded of a few common sense safety tips while driving when school is in session. Always be watchful for children, bicyclists or pedestrians in school zones. Be mindful that school zones have lower travel speeds. Never pass another vehicle in a school zone or crosswalk. Finally, never talk or text or allow other distractions to affect your driving in a school zone or otherwise congested area.

Visit online for a variety of helpful resources or a School Bus Safety Week Toolkit.