- For years, bus drivers for DeWitt Public Schools have seen many issues when it comes to their routes.
- One big problem is the general traffic's patience. Causing people to speed through bus with its lights on.
- Video shows how DeWitt Police are holding drivers accountable for these actions.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I'm your neighborhood reporter Russell Shellberg here at DeWitt Public Schools next to one of the biggest ways kids get to the classroom. But for those that aren't following the laws on the road, it's causing some concerns across the district.
Michelle Wilson has been behind the wheel of a school bus for 24 years, with several frustrating moments.
"A few years ago, I had a person run the reds... through the reds so close that his truck mirror literally smacked my stop sign," said Wilson.
She's not the only one seeing the problem.
I found out that for years, neighbors have expressed major concerns about how people are driving around school buses, including DeWitt City Police Chief Bruce Ferguson.
"Pay attention to the bus lights. If they are turning yellow, be prepared to stop. It's just like a traffic light. If it's turning yellow, don't try to push it through," said Ferguson.
If they do, Chief Ferguson showed me a way to hold those drivers accountable... cameras on the bus that can take a photo of a driver's license plate.
"When the vehicle is on the road, the arms go down, so they are about plate high. So when they take a photograph, it's not on an angle, up or down angle, it's right square with the back of the vehicle. So it makes it easier to read the plate," said Ferguson.
He says the department writes 12 to 18 citations a year from those they catch on camera.
But as Wilson knows firsthand, it hasn't solved the issue for drivers on the road.
"I know we're busy in our world, but they gotta get it together and pay attention," said Wilson.
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