MASON CITY – Police and city hall have been notified that drivers are not respecting stopped school buses on a busy Mason City street.
NIT is told the potentially dangerous situation was aggravated on Friday, September 30 and had been going on for some time. At a school bus stop at the 200 block of North Pierce Avenue, a white pickup truck approached a stopped school bus with an extended stop arm that day. The driver, said by witnesses to be traveling upwards of 30 miles per hour, proceeded to drive around the bus.
Alarmed by the behavior of the drivers, concerned parents contacted city hall and police to report the situation.
Mason City police told NIT that they “are aware of the concerns about the school bus (cars running stop arm) and road construction. There are also flashing school zone signs on N Pierce. We are working on a couple different responses to this concern.”
Police also said that a “rolling stop sign” that was put out on school days to slow down drivers “is not compliant with applicable new DOT traffic sign rules” and is no longer used.
Further complicating the matter is construction on North Pierce that has the roadway somewhat congested with workers and orange cones in the street.
Drivers are advised to slow down and watch for children walking and stopped school buses.
On May 10, 2011, Kadyn Halverson, age 7, of Northwood, was struck by a pickup while trying to cross the road to board a school bus. In response to this tragedy, Iowa increased the criminal penalties for passing a stopped school bus and directed the Iowa DOT to enact rules that make illegally passing a stopped school bus a serious moving violation that triggers increasing periods of suspension for first, second and subsequent offenses. In 2012, Governor Branstad signed into law Senate File 2218, the Keep Aware Driving – Youth Need School Safety Act (commonly known as Kadyn’s Law) which was passed unanimously in the Iowa House and Senate. The law is aimed at preventing other tragic deaths and serious injuries to Iowa’s school children while boarding or unloading from a school bus. The new rule provides that a person’s Iowa driving privilege will be suspended 30 days for a first conviction, 90 days for a second conviction, and 180 days for a third or subsequent conviction.
Hillary says your common sense school sign is not politically correct so we presume things will stay fkd up till Trump claims the oval office.
The penalty should be higher and enforced on all violators to the max.
Please be very careful these next few months for children walking home from Hoover School. Because of the construction the children cannot walk on the the sidewalk as they always have. Sometimes they have to cross Pierce Avenue with no crossing guard and all the traffic and also the big machinery!!! It is very scary and confusing for the children! My husband or my son has been there for my granddaughter but not every parent can be there or do not even know this happening!! I am very concerned that a accident may happen!!!
Because you are there you are part of the problem. There is enough congestion. Let your granddaughter ride the buss like the other kids.
bus*
Whatever. Was it to hard for you to understand?
Good come back…obviously it was hard for you to spell BUS
Obviously you didn’t understand. Otherwise you wouldn’t have brought it up.
yes, I do not comprehend STUPID if that is what you are referring to.
You should comprehend stupid, you are living it.
oh ouch…you got me good….now spell BUS
two people walking their kid home SAFELY isn’t the problem here….there are tons of parents picking up their children from school and the construction site is already congested as is…the problem is people not obeying the bus STOP sign arm…PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AT ALL TIMES!!! The BUS isn’t free to ride for all kids. That is why they walk. There obviously isn’t construction there at Hoover all the time…JUST SAYING please be MINDFUL when traveling in this particular area….don’t be a prick….
They don’t walk across Pierce. Nothing but a corn field there. And, by far the majority of kids ride the bus*.
Your an A$$- Who are you to tell parents how their kids should get to and from school. It’s up to the parents to decide if their kid is going to walk, take the bus or have the parent pick them up. The decision is not yours. The only thing you need to do is watch for children when driving past the school!
Normally the majority of the kids walking cross the pierce bridge on the east side of pierce BUT during construction and since the east side is now closed off, kids MUST now cross pierce (by the cow grazing/creek area ~ you’re mistaken with the corn fields as that is further north) , walk across the west side of pierce bridge, then cross pierce back again to get back on the east side of pierce to get to their homes. Are you mad because you are the person in the white truck who blew past the bus? Yes~ there were witnesses. Pay attention!!!! You’re the problem!!!
I never pass a stopped school bus. However, the parents “ARE” part of the problem parking on Pierce by the school. They get out of the cars to visit, block the view so the kids can’t be seen, the kids dart out between the cars and the parents pull out in front of traffic. The city should ban all parking on Pierce when school is in session. Obviously, the parents an not be trusted to protect the children.
The area being referred above to is NOT in front of Hoover school. The area in question is by the bridge south of Hoover school. This has nothing to do with parents parking to pick up there kids. Also, the area you are referring to is the area designated by the school for the official pick up lane. Don’t be a prick and slow the hell down!
some people, their sole reason for being here is to be a prick.
What the hell does parents being part of the problem have to do with how I drive? I have not had a ticket for anything in years and years. Show a little respect for other people and the problems will be a lot less.
some kids live a few blocks from the school so the bus won’t take them
They do not cross Pierce.
south of the bridge I have seen them cross the road.
Yes they do cross pierce
There used to be a stop sign there so the kids can cross. What happened to it?
Police also said that a “rolling stop sign” that was put out on school days to slow down drivers “is not compliant with applicable new DOT traffic sign rules” and is no longer used.
If everyone is so worried about safety, why don’t they get a new sign. They have one in the ditch on 122.
Matt drivers just dont care anymore, they know the driver has a hard time getting plate numbers so its a crap shoot that will get caught. Its mostly distracted drivers.
do not
I think all traffic laws should apply to bike riders also,9o percent
NOT STOP FOR ANYTHING
You will also have to pay about 600 dollars in fines and carry SR22 insurance for 2 years. You are on driving probation during those 2 years as well. Any driving infraction during those 2 years will cost you losing your driving privileges again for another 30 days.
There needs to be cameras on the buses to catch the people running the stop signs.
i bet the runners are teen drivers texting on their phones all teen drivers beleave no rules apply to them
These runners should lose their license for six months and then they will be able to keep their hands off the ground and then they are going to the team that they are not at least not a lawyer
Great comment!! Did you proof read that before you hit post comment? It makes no sense!
due to the bridge on 12th street by Curries being exempt also has driven up the traffic on North Pierce…