This is National School Bus Safety Week. The Grass Valley Highway Patrol Office has nothing special planned. But Officer Mike Steele has the results of a special enforcement operation they conducted in and near four school zones, about a month ago. He says 29 motorists were stopped and 22 citations were handed out…

click to listen to Officer Steele

The operation focused on Williams Elementary and Lyman Gilmore Schools, Nevada Union High School, as well as Bell Hill Academy…

click to listen to Officer Steele

California law requires drivers in both directions to stop whenever a school bus has turned on its flashing red lights and stop-arm signal. Drivers are supposed to remain stopped and not pass the bus until the flashing red lights are off. The fine for a first offense is normally 150 dollars, with steeper amounts for multiple violations, along with possible license suspension. Students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking the bus instead of traveling by car, according to the National Traffic Safety Administration. California has not had a pupil passenger fatality since 1995.