- Houston police stopped dozens after a school bus incident caught attention.
- Several drivers claimed they didn’t realize what was happening ahead.
- Officers uncovered unexpected items during what began as routine stops.
School buses are a lifeline for parents on tight schedules, though they can feel like rolling roadblocks for everyone else. When they slow down, stop, and turn on their flashing lights, drivers almost universally have to stop and wait.
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Yet not everyone follows that rule. In Houston, police just caught 51 people who didn’t, and it only took a few hours to do it.
The bust went down in Klein, a suburb of North Houston. There, officers deftly followed school buses and watched how traffic interacted with them. It’s clear from the video shot by Click2Houston that many motorists simply ignored the flashing signs.
Why Ignore the Lights?
Officers found several drivers with more issues than just a lack of judgment, too. At least one of them had no insurance, no registration, and no license. Police found narcotics during the morning, and at least one person had a gun with the serial number partially filed off.
While the operation was no doubt successful from a law enforcement standpoint, it’s worth asking why so many drivers casually passed the bus. Perhaps road design and bus routing have something to do with it.
Throughout the video, the only roads we see enforcement have multiple lanes on each side of the road. At least two have five lanes, including a center turn lane between the bus and oncoming traffic.
One confirmed location of the operation is Louetta Rd, a five-lane major thoroughfare with a 40 mph speed limit. Some states, like Illinois, South Carolina, and California, have rules for roads like this that allow oncoming traffic (the only kind that we see getting ticketed in the video) to continue.
The Median Confusion
Almost all states allow oncoming traffic to continue moving so long as there is a median between the lanes. Some states consider the central turn lane to be that median, but most don’t.
The rules can be confusing, so the safest move is simple: when you see a school bus with flashing lights, stop. Even if you’re several lanes away, it’s better to wait a few seconds than risk a fine – or worse.
Credit: SCDPS
