Kids across West Virginia are at risk every time they cross they road to get on to or off of a school bus. The West Virginia Board of Education recently released some shocking statistics and video showing that a startling number of motorists are not obeying school bus stop signals.
A statewide effort is underway to keep kids safe. Monday the West Virginia Board of Education announced that they have formed a School Bus Safety Task Force. Students from Piedmont Elementary got involved, through a lesson on board a Kanawha County school bus showing them what they can do to protect themselves when they are outside of the bus.
"He is teaching us why you should be safe on the bus," said Piedmont Elementary student Lindsay Haas. Haas and her classmates were part of the effort to make sure their ride to and from school is a safe one. An instructor demonstrated step by step what children need to keep in mind when it comes to watching for traffic.
"The risk to our students has become significant," said Ben Shew, with the West Virginia Department of Education's Transportation Division.
West Virginia education leaders say over the course of a school year there are more than 100,000 school bus related traffic violations that put kids in danger.
"We don't want to go and tell a family that their child was killed by a passing motorist of a school bus," said Sgt. Chris Zerkle with the West Virginia State Police.
The State Police is teaming up with the task force to ride on school buses and witness traffic violations for themselves.
"If you are in question stop and see what the school bus is going to do," Zerkle warned motorists.
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