SAN ANTONIO -- School districts throughout San Antonio face a common problem that puts children in danger every day, but it often goes unnoticed and undetected. That problem is motorists driving by school buses loading and unloading students.
“Some days are worst than others, and some areas are worst than others,” said Emery Hutzler, a bus driver for the Northside Independent School District.
“It’s a big problem. It’s a big problem everywhere, every district, every city, every state,” said Judson Independent School District spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor.
And Hutzler, who has been driving school buses for years, has seen the violators come in all forms.
“I’ve seen everything from the classic little old lady to mail trucks, UPS, and I’ve even seen, believe it or not, VIA Trans buses,” said Hutzler.
The numbers don't lie.
In October the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted a one-day study on people passing school buses. Districts in San Antonio saw dozens of violations and larger districts like NISD and NEISD saw hundreds.
“It’s kind of hard to miss a big yellow thing 30 feet long with flashing lights, but people will say that,” said Hutzler.
To see the problem firsthand NISD officials allowed KENS 5 to ride the bus and film out the window. On just one afternoon bus route, the problem was evident as several people disregarded the bus while it was stopped and then pass right by.
For bus drivers who see it every day, it’s frustrating, especially since so many violators are rarely held accountable. Hutzler said of the thousands of violators he’s seen in his career, only one person was ever cited for breaking the law.
Now there’s new technology emerging that could help deter people from passing buses.
For example, cameras have been mounted on the sides of some school buses. Judson ISD is one of the first districts in the area to install a camera on the side of a school bus. It’s currently in a trial period.
Once the bus comes to a stop, cameras start rolling at four different angles. If someone passes the bus, the video can be used for a cop who will pull the license plate and send the driver a ticket in the mail.
“We really hope that it does have a significant impact,” said Chancellor. “We hope that if we issue a ticket just one time, the next time they’re going to think twice before doing it again.”
Chancellor said the district will use the coming weeks to see how effective the cameras will be. After doing a test run the company who installs the camera will then collaborate with district officials on whether or not they want to do business.
Chancellor said that’s because the cameras don’t cost the district a penny since the company makes money off of citations.
For those who doubt how dangerous passing a school bus can be: Just last month a 10-year-old Hill Country student was hit by a driver who failed to stop for a bus. Luckily the student only suffered minor injuries.
“It’s just a miracle that tragic accidents don’t happen more often,” said Hutzler.
