Think it’s no big deal to pass a stopped school bus?

If so, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has a message for you: Operation Stop Arm. This week, the Highway Patrol is making it clear that motorists passing stopped school buses will not be tolerated.

Troopers will be patrolling school zones and conducting follow-the-bus activities as part of Operation Stop Arm, an effort to promote traffic safety around schools, school buses and school-bus stops.

Enforcing the law regarding the passing of stopped school buses is not about generating revenue; it’s about protecting children and saving lives. Every school day, nearly 1 million children ride school buses to and from school, according to the Highway Patrol.

On March 23, according to figures from the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, 3,689 vehicles passed stopped school buses. That’s not acceptable.

Reuben Young, DCCPS secretary, sums it up best: “A child’s life should never be put in danger just to save a minute or two during a daily commute. That’s why we’re going to make sure people know the law as well as the consequences of breaking it.”

Amen and amen.