Police bus route patrol nabs 3 violators; public safety director reminds parents of safe bus stop habits

Posted by Scott Bolthouse | The Huron Hub | Oct. 18, 2021

Three drivers were cited Monday for illegally passing school buses in Huron Township during a police patrol of the local routes.

Additionally, Huron’s public safety director wants to remind parents to practice safe bus stop habits as we head into the school year.

The special proactive detail included several plain clothes officers on multiple buses, several unmarked police vehicles following multiple busses, and fully marked patrol vehicles assigned to initiate traffic stops on offenders.

High School, middle school, and elementary bus routes were targeted and enforced.

Two drivers were cited near King Road and Merriman Road and one near Sibley Road and Merriman.

“One thing that caught me by surprise and was concerning today was the number of elementary age children standing by the busy road alone while parents waved from the door. My advice in the name of safety would be for parents to be with their children until they safely are on the bus, especially as we enter the cold weather season,” said Everette Robbins, Huron Township director of public safety.

“We will continue to do these proactive details on a regular basis as the safety of our children is our top priority. If you as a driver feel that you in such a hurry that you put one of our kids safety in jeopardy, my advice is to think twice, leave earlier for your destination, or accept your citation that we will gladly serve to you. We will have a zero-tolerance policy as always regarding this issue.”

Some tips for parents:

-Parents and kids should wait for the bus to come to a complete stop and for the red lights to be engaged before approaching the bus. Many drivers were observed to stop for the yellow lights, but not all. Many kids began to cross the street while the yellow yield lights were flashing, which could cause them to get struck by a vehicle.
-Multiple bus stops on busy roads had elementary age children at the stop without an adult present. This was especially dangerous with wet road conditions and kids too close to the road.
-Multiple parents were observed at the stop with their hands full. This included cell phones, coffee, etc. This could make it difficult for a parent to pull their child to safety in the event of an emergency.