U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) today backed a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposal to study the best ways to prevent illegal passing of school buses and keep students safe.
“The tragic crash in Fulton County that claimed the lives of three precious children and injured a fourth was a wake-up call that we need to do more to keep kids safe on their way to and from school,” Congresswoman Walorski said. “I introduced the bipartisan Stop for School Buses Act to help states and local communities take the most effective actions to prevent dangerous and illegal passing of school buses. I’m glad NHTSA has announced plans to study these important issues so we can learn more about how to prevent future tragedies and protect our children.”
In a letter to NHTSA, Walorski expressed full support for the two studies: one to assess driver knowledge about state laws governing school bus passing, and the other to survey the effectiveness of school bus camera enforcement along with public education to prevent illegal passing. The proposed studies are similar to what would be required under H.R. 2218, the Stop for School Buses Act, which Walorski introduced following the 2018 tragedy in Fulton County that claimed the lives of three siblings and critically injured a fourth student.
“I want to applaud the NHTSA for proactively taking the steps called for in H.R. 2218 to reduce illegal school bus passing and increase public knowledge about the dangers of illegally passing a school bus in order to prevent another tragedy like we saw in Rochester,” Congresswoman Walorski wrote. “These important studies will help provide local school districts and states with more information to help them develop policies that keep children safe as they travel to and from school.”
