[August 09, 2011] Officials hope law improves school bus safety Tweet LAUREL, Aug 06, 2011 (Laurel Leader-Call - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A new law will help keep students safe as they return to school this Monday. Local officials including State Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ellisville) hope "Nathan's Law," which went into effect July 1, will protect children as they travel on school buses to and from school. The law is named after North Jones Elementary School student Nathan Key, who was killed in December 2009 after a motorist who illegally tried to pass a school bus struck him while he was exiting. The law requires motorists to stay at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus. Violators could be fined up to $750 for a first offense, and face a fine plus jail time on a second offense. "Nathan's Law" also prohibits school bus drivers from using cell phones while transporting children, except in cases of emergency. Another element of the law, which was dropped from the final form, bans all drivers from using cell phones in a school zone. McDaniel, who introduced "Nathan's Law," said he will continue to work to see that last provision is passed. "Texas passed a law a few years ago that says you have to use a hands-free device in a school zone," he said. "It helps you be more focused on your surroundings. "It was part of 'Nathan's Law' at one point, but Ed Blackmon (a Congressman from Canton) did not want that to be part of the law," McDaniel added. "We compromised in that respect, but will come back next year and work towards something like that." McDaniel said the hands-free law has "worked remarkably well in Texas," according to recent studies. "Texas is a large diverse state, and it has reduced accidents around school zones," he said. McDaniel said "Nathan's Law" has gained recognition across the state and nationally. "Now that the law is effective, there's no question whether it will be successful in protecting our children," he said. "It's a good law, a multi-faceted law. It will reduce accidents in the state of Mississippi." McDaniel said a school bus safety task force, which was also established through the bill, is continuing to work on recommendations to be brought forward during the next legislative session. Terry Graham, Jones County Schools transportation director, said the district is cracking down on the use of cell phones. "It's always been a policy of Jones County Schools that bus drivers not utilize phones," he said. "Now that you could be ticketed, we're really pounding them about using cell phones. Even administrators and teachers are asked to put them away." Graham said he hopes the public understands the importance of stopping for school buses. "If the owner of a vehicle runs the stop arm, they can be ticketed," he said. "We want to obey stop arm laws and keep kids safe." Graham said a parent or guardian is asked to be at the bus stop with children in kindergarten and first grade. He said he also hopes that the bus safety message is taught at home. "For little children, it's a new environment to them," he said. "We need parents to help. We have programs in place such as 'My Brother's Keeper,' which encourages children to hold hands while going on and off the bus, and 'Meet Me at the Bus Stop,' where guardians are asked to be with the younger children at the bus stop." Graham said the safety of children on school buses is a top priority. "If a bus driver reports to us that someone ran the stop arm, we'll give it to sheriff's department," he said. "Sheriff (Alex) Hodge has told me that he will pursue it and tickets will be written." To see more of the Laurel Leader-Call or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.leadercall.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Laurel Leader-Call, Miss. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]