GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Five children have died following car crashes at school bus stops this week across the country.
It leaves a lot of us wondering -- what more can be done to prevent these tragedies?
Highway Patrol recently posted a photo of a trooper riding the school bus with kids in Harnett County. An assisting trooper stayed nearby to watch for violations, and act quickly if enforcement needed to be taken.
It was part of Operation Stop Arm, and the goal was to make sure kids were safe from the time they got on the bus, to the time they got off at the end of each school day.
"This is so awesome! This should be done more often," commented Edgar.
"I wish this could be done on every bus. Every day," said JJ.
Master Trooper Baker, who covers Triad counties like Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham, says getting on and off the school bus is the most dangerous part of the day for kids - so school bus safety is always top of mind for troopers.
He says when it comes to how often troopers ride the bus with students, it really depends on the county.
Baker says troopers will investigate when they receive complaints about school bus violations, and that could mean patrolling a certain area more heavily, or riding the school bus with kids.
Besides watching for violators, Baker says troopers also want to teach kids to be aware of their surroundings when getting on and off the school bus.
So far this year, Highway Patrol has not issued a citation in Guilford or Rockingham County for passing a stopped school bus. Two drivers have been ticketed in Randolph County.
But don't be fooled by the low numbers. Trooper Baker says there are more complaints about school bus violations than actual citations. He also notes that all elements of the law need to be met in order to charge someone.
According to a 2017 report by NC Bus Safety, more than 3,000 school bus stop arm violations were counted in just one day across the state.
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