A Florida driver passed a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended while a DeSoto County patrol deputy was directly behind her.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office shared the deputy’s dash camera video, which shows the van continue past the bus before the deputy pulls out behind it.
During the traffic stop, the driver said she thought she had passed a construction vehicle that was stopping traffic.
Then she offered an explanation for why she may not have recognized the bus: “I don’t have my glasses on, so I can’t see far.”
What the Dash Camera Caught
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The bus was stopped ahead of the patrol vehicle with its red warning lights flashing and its stop arm extended. The van continued past it.
The sheriff’s office said children were getting on and off the bus at the time.
The deputy followed the van and initiated a traffic stop. The driver received a citation.
Her Explanation Added Another Problem
The driver said she believed the vehicle ahead was part of a construction operation stopping traffic rather than a school bus.
Her next statement explained why she may have had trouble seeing what was ahead.
“I don’t have my glasses on, so I can’t see far,” she said.
DCSO used the encounter to remind drivers to pay attention around school buses, saying there is “no excuse” for passing a stopped bus while children are getting on or off.
“Please pay attention to the road and let’s make sure we all get home safe,” the sheriff’s office said.
The agency did not identify the driver in its post.
The Stop Arm Carries Some Expensive Consequences
Florida law requires a driver approaching a school bus displaying its stop signal to come to a full stop and remain there until the signal is withdrawn.
Drivers traveling in the opposite direction do not have to stop when the roadway is divided by an unpaved space of at least five feet, a raised median or a physical barrier.
Florida’s penalty statute sets a minimum $200 civil penalty for failing to stop for a school bus. A second or subsequent violation within five years can result in a driver’s license suspension of 180 days to one year.
Passing the bus on the side where children enter and exit carries a minimum $400 civil penalty. A second or subsequent violation of that provision within five years can result in a suspension of 360 days to two years.