Every day millions of children take a bus to and from school.  And, every day, many of those children are in danger of being hit by a vehicle that refuses to stop despite the bus' flashing lights and stop sign.  In the last week alone, 4 children were killed and 1 other severely injured in the US by passing vehicles while either boarding or departing a school bus. Thousands are injured each year and approximately 8 will lose their lives. 

It's time for a National push to change this! We can not afford to lose any more children to the carelessness and ignorance of other drivers! It's time to make the laws for stopping for a school bus as well known to drivers as 'click it or ticket' or 'wipers on lights on'. It's time for bigger fines and tougher penalties for offenders! Let's make stopping for a school bus the new 'normal' and keeping our children safe our priority!

Please sign and share if you agree.

Those who sign this petition implore you, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, to push for the following changes concerning safety at our bus stops:

-To allow all states the ability to install cameras on the outside of school buses for the purpose of monitoring offenders and punishing accordingly

-Steeper fines and longer jail time for drivers who pass a stopped school bus

-Clear and consistent laws across all states

-Adequate lighting at all school bus stops

-Signs on both sides of the street indicating where cars are to stop when a school bus is present at all bus stops

-A national campaign to make all Americans aware of the laws concerning stopping for stopped school buses (including public service announcements, electronic billboard reminders and reminders written on the back of inspection stickers placed inside all vehicles)

-Permission for school bus drivers to assess each individual bus stop and determine the best placement of the bus when stopped to minimize the potential for other vehicles to pass and/or minimize the number of children who need to walk through oncoming traffic or turning vehicles. (Including the ability to block an entire street and blocking an intersection when stopped.) Mandatory training in this as well.

-Requirements for bus routes to be determined in a way that minimizes the number of children who need to cross in front of the bus.

Thank you, Ms. Chao, for taking into consideration our pleas for safer school bus stops across America.

Please sign and share, share, share! We need at least 100,000 signatures to make our voices heard!