Congressman Brindisi Pushes School Bus Safety Legislation

U.S. Congressman Anthony Brindisi (D-Utica) is co-sponsoring legislation on the federal level to try to stop cars from passing stopped school buses in all states.

The push comes on the heels of the release of video on the Norwich City School District’s Facebook feed this month that shows bus driver Samantha Call snatching a student back into the bus as a car zips by on the right-hand, door-side of the bus as the boy starts to exit the vehicle.

Chenango County Sheriff’s and Norwich Police are still investigating and there hasn’t been any word about an arrest of the driver.

The “Stop for School Buses Act” has been looking for a sponsor in the Senate and, prior to the Norwich video going viral, members of the National School Transportation Association had been lobbying for its passage.  The measure would unify laws among the states, improve safety measures and improve driver education.

The School Transportation Association says 9 to 15 children a year are killed getting on or off their school bus.