SCSO & RPD team up to address school bus safety concerns
REDDING, Calif., — Citing a recent increase in reports of vehicles passing school busses while they are stopped with their red stop lights activated along with other dangerous driving actions in and around Redding as well as throughout Shasta County, led to a dual-agency enforcement crackdown this week. The operation included officials from Redding Police Department and Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Participating officers and deputies issued numerous citations and warnings during the operation, and officials have said they have more enforcement operations planned for the immediate future.
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After listening to area residents and hearing their complaints and concerns, SCSO School Resource Officers and RPD Traffic Unit motorcycle officers teamed up to monitor several “troublesome bus stops”, both within the city limits as well as the surrounding unincorporated communities.
A City of Redding motor officer writes a citation during a recent crackdown on school bus safety in and around Redding. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photos
“Multiple drivers were observed not stopping when busses were stopped with red warning lights on while children were boarding,” SCSO explained. “Those drivers were cited for violation of California Vehicle Code 22454(a) which applies to motorists following or approaching a school bus from the opposite direction.”
Officials have reminded area resident that when a bus is pulled to the side of the roadway with its red lights flashing, it means that students are either entering or exiting the bus and could end up crossing the road – sometimes unexpectedly – meaning drivers should always stop and watch out for children.
“For the safety of children, drivers may not pass a stopped school bus with flashing red signals,” SCSO continued; adding, “Please be mindful of this law and help keep our kids safe as they head to and from school each day.”
Under CVC 22454, California law requires you remain stopped as long as the red lights on the school bus are flashing. If you fail to stop, you may be fined up to $1,000 and your driving privilege could be suspended for 1 year. If the school bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes in each direction), you do not need to stop.
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Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photos
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.