Texas May Be Increasing Penalties for Drivers that Speed By Stopped School Buses

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I don't care how late you're running. If you see a school bus with their lights on. You stop! Plain and simple, no excuses what so ever. I'm glad to see the Texas state house trying to increase the punishment for drivers who do this. The house just passed HB 4070. The bill would make it a third-degree felony for hitting a person while passing a stopped school bus.

The charge was previously a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by no more than a year in jail. If passed, the new law could charge someone with two to 10 years in prison. The bill now heads to the Senate. As a kid who was almost hit by a driver getting off the bus in elementary school, I 100% hope the Senate passes this as well. Just this past week in New York, cameras caught a driver almost hit a kid. Thanks to a fast-acting driver, nothing terrible happened.

I also think all these buses should have cameras on the outside that record when their lights are on to catch these drivers. I know that would be expensive, but it's something I think needs to happen.