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First Student School bus # 090908 runs stop sign. |
It started with a tip several months ago, from an Ashley Drive resident in Brighton, NY who alerted me to an ongoing safety issue.
Motorists disregarding stop signs at the intersection of Ahley and Fairfield Drives, by failing to come to a complete stop, and in some cases actually flat out running right through them.
After contacting the Brighton, NY Police department located less than a quarter mile from the problem intersection, and informing them about the situation, I got the sense that my complaint was pretty much falling on deaf ears, or at the very least definitely not on the short list of the department's traffic details (yet they certainly have no problem pulling over drivers for speeding and talking on cell phones), so I decided I'd head out to the neighborhood, and document the violations, by conducting my own video surveillance.
Sure enough, within seconds of me parking my vehicle, several motorists approached the intersection of Ashley and Fairfield Drives, slowed down a bit, then went through the stop signs.
It's what's commonly referred to as a 'rolling stop."
When it comes to a rolling stop, there's no 'degree', if you will, of how much 'rolling' a motorist does when approaching a stop sign, or a traffic light.
Anything short of failing to come to a complete stop, is considered the same as running a stop sign.
And, in New York State, running stop sign will result in a fine of up to $100 and 3 points on your driver's license, which when you consider that your license will be suspended if you you get 11 points within an 18-month period, is something not to be taken lightly.
And to give you an idea of the level of disregard that motorists have for the stop signs at the intersection of Ashley and Fairfield Drives, check out the third video below.
You'll notice a white GMC Yukon SUV with New York plate "MINIDOOP" run the stop sign on the top left of the video.
A few minutes later, the same SUV runs a second stop sign.
And to give you an idea of the level of disregard that motorists have for the stop signs at the intersection of Ashley and Fairfield Drives, check out the third video below.
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GMC Yukon with NYS plate # "MINIDOOP" ran not one, but two stop signs at intersection of Ashley and Fairfield Drives. |
A few minutes later, the same SUV runs a second stop sign.
One vehicle in particular that I observed, and video recorded Wednesday morning running stop sings, was especially disturbing.
First Transit School bus # 090908.
As you can see in the first two videos below, First Student school bus # 090908 runs not one, but two separate stop signs by failing to come to a complete stop.
The first, just seconds after picking up a small child.
The second, less than 5 minutes later, on its way to Hillel School, located on right around the corner, on Fairfield Drive.
We've all heard the nightmare stories of school bus drivers being intoxicated, talking on cellphones, and even leaving sleeping children on their school buses, after completing their routes, only for that child to be discovered hours later when they never make it home.
And now running stop signs?
Just how safe are our children when we put them on a school bus?
I put in a call to First Student School Bus Company, located on Colfax Street, in Rochester, NY, and will be updating this post.
Note:
Wednesday morning I spoke with Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Christopher Wagner.
Wednesday morning I spoke with Brighton, NY Police Sgt. Christopher Wagner.
Sgt. Wagner, who I want to point out was very professional and courteous, seemed empathetic to my concerns, and who also seemed disturbed by the school bus running the stop signs, assured me he would see to it that his officers know about the situation.
"I'll have a patrol vehicle out there and monitor it, and observe the intersection, and if infractions are seen, it'll be addressed," Sgt. Wagner said.
I've heard that before Sgt. Wagner.
So, in the words of one of my all time favorite investigative reporters, Al White... We'll be watching.
Click Play to watch video of school bus running stop sign, shortly after picking child up.
Click Play to watch video of school bus running stop sign, shortly after picking child up.
Click Play to watch video of school bus running second stop sign.
Click Play to watch vehicles running stop signs.
Click Play to watch vehicles running stop signs.
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