By Associated Press
Undated, AL – In a one-day survey last fall, the state Department of Education reported one-thousand-862 documented cases of vehicles illegally passing stopped buses statewide. A new Alabama law now in effect aims to lower those numbers. It says if a motorist illegally passes a stopped school bus, church bus or a bus operated by the Association for Retarded Citizens of Alabama, the bus drivers can report tag numbers and vehicle descriptions to law enforcement officials, who can then issue a citation to the owner of the car. If convicted, the car owner will face stiff fines and penalties. Bobby Jackson, director of transportation for Madison City Schools, says the new law also gives law enforcement officials an added incentive to enforce it because they get to keep 90 percent of the fines.