He provided statistics from an annual one-day survey conducted by the Alabama Department of Education this spring of how many drivers run open stop signs on school buses throughout the state.

Although school systems are not required to participate in the survey, Chilton County was among nearly 130 systems with transportation that participated.

On the day bus drivers across the state kept count for the survey, more than 1,700 drivers failed to stop when lights were flashing and the bus’ stop sign was out, and 89 of the drivers went off the road to pass on the right side of the bus.

Chilton County Schools Transportation Supervisor Jason Griffin said 17 instances of illegal school bus passing were recorded in Chilton County alone.

Last year, four deaths in Alabama reportedly were related to illegal passing of school buses.

“The numbers are staggering,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of mind-blowing.”

The ABA posted the survey statistics, along with the video from the West Virginia school bus dash cam and a 60-second public service announcement radio spot, on its website.

In addition, Johnson said radio stations in Clanton, Jemison, Birmingham, Andalusia, Greenville, Luverne, Troy, Jasper, Marion, Centreville and other areas would continue to broadcast the radio spot indefinitely.

Johnson said Alabama Public Television and Fox 6 have been involved in the campaign as well.

Alabama’s school bus stop law encompasses the following rules:

•On a two-lane roadway, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

•On a four-lane roadway without a median separation, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

•On a roadway of four lanes or more with a center turning lane, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

•On a two-lane roadway with a center turning lane, when a school bus stops for passengers, all traffic from both directions must stop.

•On a divided highway of four lanes or more with a median separation, when school bus stops for passengers, only traffic following the bus must stop.

Violators of the law are subject to the following:

•First offense: $150-$300 fine.

•Second offense: $300-$500 fine, 100 hours community service and 30-day driver license suspension.

•Third offense: $500-$1,000 fine, 200 hours community service and 90-day driver license suspension.

•Fourth offense: $1,000-$3,000 fine, Class C felony and one-year driver license suspension.

Violations of the school bus passing law should be reported to local law enforcement.

“The penalties aren’t stiff enough,” Johnson said.

On an average school day in Chilton County, nearly 5,000 children ride on a school bus

One hundred school bus routes run in the county each day.

“Our drivers do an excellent job of watching traffic and holding kids to make sure it’s stopped,” Johnson said.

Griffin commended law enforcement for assisting the school system with bus safety by enforcing the school bus stop law.

“Our local law enforcement does everything they can to help us as much as they can,” Griffin said.

Griffin and Johnson, who has been a school bus driver for nearly 17 years, said they have never seen a child get hit by a car around a school bus, and they want to keep it that way.

“Our key focus right now is education,” Johnson said. “This is the law. You need to stop for those school buses.”