Bakersfield Police targeted drivers this afternoon who refused to stop when they saw red light's flashing on school buses. Friday's sting comes after Eyewitness News first introduced concerns about drivers disobeying school bus laws with our exclusive investigation earlier this year. It's a law that seems common place, yet driver's still seem to be hazy on how the law applies to them. It's simple when you see the red lights from either direction stop. The only exemption is in the case of a divided median ... but if you see a yellow bus you should still use caution. Every afternoon around 2:30 p.m. school buses flood Kern county's streets, taking home precious cargo. Once the bus pulls over and puts on those flashing lights, all vehicles must stop. But lately it seems some drivers aren't paying attention, and keep on driving. School bus driver Kara Coronel tells us "It happens on a daily basis I would average out two to eight a day, it depends on traffic."
Friday afternoon, Bakersfield Police were incognito following three separate Rosedale Union School District buses on their routes, stopping drivers who wouldn't stop on their own. The director of Maintenance, Operations and Transportation for the Rosedale Union School District says "We're dropping off children daily and we're finding motorists that are getting very lax at stopping when the red lights come out."
While on the ride-a-long we found that drivers on smaller streets seemed to be obeying the law. But when we made a stop on Calloway between Rosedale and Brimhall, several cars kept blowing by. From the time the sign came out we saw at least six drivers in both directions break the law, we also saw police officers remind them of that. It's something bus driver Kara Coronel says she is very grateful for and reminds drivers, "When you see those yellows come out that your warning once the reds come out you have to stop."
It's important to note that buses must operate the flashing red lights and stop sign at all times when a bus is loading and unloading students. Also, the bus drivers does not have to wait for traffic to clear to activate the red lights.