Manchester School District

On Monday, October 21, 2019, our school district's Transportation Office will cooperate with local, county and state law enforcement officials in a program designed to (1) educate the public on laws about and the dangers of illegally passing stopped school buses with red lights flashing and stop arm extended; and (2) increase police presence targeting violators of this law.

You may be or not be aware, RSA 265:54 of the state Vehicle and Traffic Law requires motorists to come to a full stop when approaching a stopped school bus with the red lights flashing and stop arm extended. On May 1, 2018, Operation Safe Stop in just 25 New Hampshire communities identified 83 violations. For a 180-day school year, over 14,940 violations by private motorists take place in NH.

Although New Hampshire is proud of our safety record and in recent history no child has been killed or severely injured by a motorist violating the Red-Light law, it is only a matter of time before these repeated violations result in such an event.

We cannot allow this to continue to happen. That is why we are cooperating with our Local Police, the State Police, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and NH Department of Safety in a program called Operation Safe Stop. Operation Safe Stop is a public education and promotion effort providing public information, increased and intensified police alertness to such illegal passing’s, and information you may share with parents and friends.

This school year we are joining the state-wide Operation Safe Stop Day to he held on Monday, October 21, 2019. We hope you will participate by being alert to such illegal passing’s, helping if needed in advance of and on the day of our program activities. Talking about this serious and dangerous problem among your families, neighbors, and social acquaintances and colleagues would also be beneficial to the success of the program.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions, want to be involved or need additional information. You may even want to have your students complete a writing or art project related to this law or other laws that protect our children and families on our roads and highways. Also included is information regarding safe walking to and from school.

Thanks for taking time to read this and becoming involved in Operation Safe Stop!