August 14, 2014: Kankakee, IL – Kankakee County Sheriff’s Officers will work in concert over the next several weeks in an intensified traffic enforcement initiative. The initiative is being conducted in conjunction with the beginning of the new school year. Kankakee County Sheriff Tim Bukowski indicated that his officers as well as police agencies throughout the county will be out in force concentrating on traffic offenses related to the safety of school children.

Motorists who exceed the 20 mile per hour “School Speed Zone” will be ticketed. Police
Officers will also be placed on selected buses and will employ unmarked police units in an effort to identify drivers who pass a stopped school bus that is picking up or discharging students.

Sheriff Bukowski reminded drivers that they must slow their vehicles in posted “School Speed Zones” to 20 miles per hour or less on school days when school children are present. Bukowski added that drivers should anticipate the presence of children in the morning from 7:30AM to
9:00 AM and in the afternoon from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Bukowski also reminded drivers to be mindful of altered starting and ending times for schools during the first week of school cautioning drivers that schools may be starting late and letting out early.

The sheriff also reminded drivers that the driver of a vehicle must stop their vehicle before meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils from a school bus that has activated its red lights. Drivers shall not proceed until the school bus resumes motion or you are signaled by the school bus driver to proceed or
the red lights are no longer actuated, and passing when the bus can be accomplished in a safe manner.

An exception to this rule is when the driver is driving on a highway having 4 or more lanes which permits at least 2 lanes of traffic to travel in opposite directions. In this situation drivers are not required to stop when meeting a school bus which is stopped in the opposing roadway.

Any person convicted of a violation of the school bus stop arm law shall have their driver’s license suspended by the Secretary of State’s office for a period of three months for the first conviction and for a period of one year for a second conviction.
Police are encouraging drivers to be mindful of the presence of school children on area streets going to or from school. Young children may dart into traffic and drivers should be prepared for such eventualities. Sheriff Bukowski advises drivers that police will strictly enforce all traffic laws pertaining to school safety which includes the unlawful use of a cell phone, and that drivers can anticipate the use of radar and laser detection devices in addition to the unmarked vehicles and officers on school buses.

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