Sgt. Hawkins reminds students...
Sgt. Hawkins recently noted that some of the busses run later
than others after school on 7th Street. It appears that some of our
students who drive seem to have forgotten the law related to
stopping for a school bus. The law requires that drivers stop for a
bus when the red flashing lights are on and the "stop" arm is out.
It also requires that drivers STAY THERE until the lights go out
and the arm retracts.
Sgt. Hawkins was recently told by a student that they "saw the stop
arm out, so after they stopped, they took off again." He'd like to
remind students of the law and make sure they're aware that the
penalty for such a violation is a 3 month license suspension for
the first offense. Related statutes are listed below:
(625 ILCS 5/11 1414) (from
Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11 1414)
Sec. 11 1414. Approaching, overtaking, and passing school bus.
(a) The driver of a vehicle shall stop such vehicle before meeting
or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus stopped at any
location for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils. Such
stop is required before reaching the school bus when there is in
operation on the school bus the visual signals as specified in
Sections 12 803 and 12 805 of this Code. The driver of the vehicle
shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or the driver
of the vehicle is signaled by the school bus driver to proceed or
the visual signals are no longer actuated.
(b) The stop signal arm required by Section 12 803 of this Code
shall be extended after the school bus has come to a complete stop
for the purpose of loading or discharging pupils and shall be
closed before the school bus is placed in motion again. The stop
signal arm shall not be extended at any other time.
(f) Beginning with the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1985, the Secretary of State shall suspend for a period of 3 months the driving privileges of any person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance; the Secretary shall suspend for a period of one year the driving privileges of any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of subsection (a) of this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance if the second or subsequent violation occurs within 5 years of a prior conviction for the same offense. In addition to the suspensions authorized by this Section, any person convicted of violating this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance shall be subject to a mandatory fine of $150 or, upon a second or subsequent violation, $500. The Secretary may also grant, for the duration of any suspension issued under this subsection, a restricted driving permit granting the privilege of driving a motor vehicle between the driver's residence and place of employment or within other proper limits that the Secretary of State shall find necessary to avoid any undue hardship. A restricted driving permit issued hereunder shall be subject to cancellation, revocation and suspension by the Secretary of State in like manner and for like cause as a driver's license may be cancelled, revoked or suspended; except that a conviction upon one or more offenses against laws or ordinances regulating the movement of traffic shall be deemed sufficient cause for the revocation, suspension or cancellation of the restricted driving permit. The Secretary of State may, as a condition to the issuance of a restricted driving permit, require the applicant to participate in a designated driver remedial or rehabilitative program. Any conviction for a violation of this subsection shall be included as an offense for the purposes of determining suspension action under any other provision of this Code, provided however, that the penalties provided under this subsection shall be imposed unless those penalties imposed under other applicable provisions are greater.
