As Eden Prairie schools gear up to welcome back students next week, a critical issue remains at the forefront: the safety of our children as they travel to and from school. The Eden Prairie Police Department (EPPD) is taking measures to reinforce the importance of school bus stop arm laws, according to an EPPD blog post.
For drivers traversing the roads of Eden Prairie, the law is unequivocal, stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with its arm extended and red lights flashing – from either direction, unless there's a physical barrier dividing the roadway. The cost for disregarding this rule isn't just a matter of safety; it's a hefty $500 fine. Regrettably, the consequences don't seem to be deterrent enough. Last year witnessed a spike in stop-arm violations with an alarming count of 86, up from 28 the previous year, and now in 2024, the tally has already reached 44.
It's not just the patrolling officers that violators need to be wary of. School bus drivers themselves have the authority to report violations, leading to tickets being mailed directly to vehicle owners, even if they weren't behind the wheel at the time of the infraction, states the EPPD. This measure serves as an extra layer of enforcement, ensuring that those who flout the law are held accountable.
Given the uptick in violations, the EPPD plans to increase its patrol in September, focusing explicitly on stop-arm enforcement. With this initiative, they hope to stem the rising tide of violations and, more importantly, protect the students. The message from the EPPD is simple and clear, stating, "Please help keep our students safe by stopping for the stop arm."
For continuous updates and community alerts, residents can peruse the multitude of postings on the EPPD blog at edenprairie.org/EPPDBlog.
