GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Class has been back in session in Gaston County for not even a week yet and law enforcement says they’re already receiving calls of people not following school bus safety rules.
“School just started Wednesday for us, so it’s still pretty early in the school year, but we’re already receiving complaints of cars passing school buses," said Sgt. Ronnie Parsons with Gaston County Police. "Sometimes it’s the school bus driver saying, ‘hey, I’ve seen this same car every day pass by.'"
The rules are laid out by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, which says if a driver is on a two-lane road, you stop on both sides for a stopped bus. If you're on a two-lane road with a turn lane, you still need to stop for a stopped bus. However, if there’s a 4-lane with a turn lane in the middle, only the vehicles behind the school bus need to stop.
Robert Main was a school bus monitor in the area and told WCNC Charlotte he’s seen those close calls time after time.
“I saw a lot of people not paying attention to the roads and they’ll just zoom by the school buses and almost hit a couple of kids," he said. "People just don’t pay attention and don’t care."
A $500 dollar fine is the punishment for not following the law - but if you hit someone that fine goes from $500 to $1,000 and the charge goes from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.