School has started across much of the Quad Cities and a new rule toughens an Iowa law trying to crack down on people ignoring stopped school busses.
It's called Kadyn's law. It increased the criminal penalties for drivers caught breaking Iowa's school bus laws, after a seven year old was killed by a pickup truck getting on the bus last year in May.
The state will begin taking away people's licenses. But school districts and bus companies say more effort is needed.
Big yellow school busses will be out on the roads between now and May and Davenport bus chief Scott Martin hopes a new rule will crack down on a continual problem. Drivers ignoring the flashing lights, putting children in danger.
"Once they get off that bus, if the traffic around it is not heeding the amber lights to slow down, or the flashing red lights to stop, then that becomes a problem for the students," says Martin.
The state will begin taking away drivers licenses for those people caught blowing by a school bus stop sign. With the length of time increasing for each offense.
Martin says it's a problem across the country. And not enough drivers are facing the consequences.
"We would welcome more enforcement, there were only 625 convictions last year in the state of Iowa."
Durham school bus manager Curtis Wheeler says his bus drivers reported 178 stop arm violations last year.
"You see click it or ticket public service announcements on a regular basis we should probably be seeing that for stop arm violations as well," says Wheeler.
"While school bus laws do vary from state to state, they're very similar in Iowa and Illinois, leading bus drivers to think that drivers just aren't aware of what the rules are."
"Third street, Fourth street, where we've got some stops and those drivers aren't familiar with what the process and procedure is," says Wheeler.
All drivers have to stop on a two lane street. But bigger four lane streets cause confusion. Drivers behind the bus have to stop. Oncoming traffic doesn't.
"It truly is the responsibility of that driver to find out what those changes are," says Wheeler.
It's hoped the extra penalties will encourage drivers to lean more quickly.
Besides taking away a license, Iowa increased the criminal penalties for drivers caught breaking the law.
For a first offense, a driver will lose their license for a month and face at least a 250 dollar fine, plus a possible month long jail sentence.
The state will take away a drivers license for three months after a second offense. The fines and possible jail time increase as well.
