ALLENDALE, Mich. —
Officials are reminding drivers that it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus that is picking up students after a video posted to Facebook showing several cars passing a bus on Lake Michigan Drive in Allendale sparked concern.
“We all know that flashing yellows mean the bus is going to be moving to a stop and going to flashing red],” Lt. Ryan DeVries with the Ottawa County Sheriff said. “So just please, stop. If you need to slowly creep up behind the bus since you stopped early, we understand that. Really do whatever we can to make sure we're stopping so we don't have to deal with a horrific accident.”
Cars are not allowed to pass a stopped bus unless they are on the opposite side of a dividing median. But the cars shown in the video were driving on the same side of the divided median as the school bus.
DeVries said drivers are most likely used to students going to the bus from the same place every day.
“There's such an easy way to avoid [accidents]. Come to a complete stop. We all are fast moving throughout our week,” he said. “Patience is something that we're always working through. But in this circumstance, slow down stop, give that bus driver, whether it be 30 seconds to a minute.”
With the winter storm coming to West Michigan, snowplow trucks and snowbanks can create added visibility issues, and can create a dangerous scenario for those who drive past a bus stop sign.
Citations for going past a stopped bus can be hundreds of dollars and leave several points on your license.
Law enforcement is able to pull license plate numbers from bus cameras of cars that violate the law.