Andrew Gardner, director of marketing for the Gardian Angel school bus lighting solution for student pedestrians, points out language contained in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last fall that calls for a study of school bus loading and unloading zone safety and an analysis of technology being used. Also, read about the U.S. flag behind him that was flown atop the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and sent to Andrew and his father Steve Gardner, founder and creator of Gardian Angel, by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Visit
stnonline.com/go/cw.
The federal government also intends to help reduce
illegal passing by reviewing driver education materials and determining if illegal passing is addressed in those manuals. It will also examine any relationship between illegal passing and A) distracted driving, B) poor visi- bility, C) illumination and reach of vehicle headlights, D) speed limits, and E) characteristics associated with school bus stops, especially in rural areas. The penalties of illegal passing in each state will also
be reviewed, along with the wide variety of penalties for those motorists found guilty. Some states have laws that require the face of the driver to be visible in a camera image, for example, or need a law enforcement officer to witness the illegal passing. Examining these and other issues will shed light on the best practices to address illegal passing. School Transportation News asked the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration for comment on when the study and technology review will take place. While a NHTSA spokesperson declined to answer that question, they added that the directive is “a historic opportunity to make dramatic improvements in highway safety” and that the agency will work to meet the congressional mandates.
42 School Transportation News • AUGUST 2022
Professionals in Favor of BIL Steve Randazzo, executive vice president of Bus Patrol,
welcomes the federal government’s interest in school bus safety. “By all indications, it seems they intend to collect statistics, assess what is working, and make recommendations at the federal level for states to adopt more uniform school bus stopping laws and the differ- ent mechanisms for deterring motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses,” he commented. “Every state that Bus Patrol operates in has different laws that we plan our technology around. We strongly believe that every state should adopt laws that enable school districts and communities to be able to curb illegal passing.” Randazzo noted that courts in some states with
automated enforcement send violations directly to the registered owner of the vehicle, thus changing the pen- alty structure. Passing a stopped school bus may then be considered a civil violation, not a moving violation, he added. What Bus Patrol sees in states with the company’s method of automated enforcement is that violators are captured at a much more effective rate than by an officer showing up and knocking on someone’s door.
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