Walorski reiterates need to end illegal school bus passings

U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN), on Monday, announced support for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study on preventing the illegal passing of school buses to improve student safety.

“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,” Rep. Walorski said. 

The congresswoman sent a Sept. 17 letter to NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens to commend the administration’s two planned 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.

“Illegal passing of stopped school buses threatens students’ lives, but it remains all too common,” wrote Rep. Walorski, who also applauded the NHTSA’s forthcoming studies for being similar to what would be required under her bill, the bipartisan Stop for School Buses Act of 2019, H.R. 2218.

Rep. Walorski last April introduced H.R. 2218 with U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) following a 2018 tragedy in Fulton County, Ind., that claimed the lives of three siblings and critically injured a fourth student as they crossed the street in front of a stopped school bus.

“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,” Rep. 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.”

H.R. 2218 has a total of 64 cosponsors and remains under consideration in the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and in the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee.