The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee No Empty Chair…

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee No Empty Chair Campaign is a weeklong education and enforcement initiative created to keep young drivers safe. County, State, and Local Law Enforcement will increase their presence in the vicinity of local High Schools throughout, and will be vigilant about violations of specific infractions throughout the week, while also enforcing all other vehicle and traffic laws.

Thursday, May 2nd – Operation Safe Stop

It is illegal - and very dangerous - to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on top of the bus are flashing. Flashing lights mean the bus is picking up or discharging students.

You must stop whether you are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear.

Participating Oneida County School Districts also have busses equipped with Vera Mobility Camera Systems. Verra Mobility’s CrossingGuard™ school bus stop-arm enforcement solution provides state-of-the-art stop-arm safety technology to effectively capture stop-arm events. When the stop arm is deployed, the camera automatically detects vehicles that pass the stopped bus within the enforcement zone. When an event occurs, the cameras record video of the vehicle and capture event images including the vehicle, its license plate, and the extended stop-arm. The violation video and license plate images are then reviewed by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office for approval prior to a warning or citation being issued, if a citation is issued it will originate from the state of Arizona.

You must always stop for flashing red lights, even on divided and multilane highways and on school grounds.