'I'm disgusted': Parent fed up with drivers not stopping for school buses

A Halifax father says he's concerned about sending his son back to school this yearbecause of drivers failing to stop for school buses with red flashing lights.

• Drivers passing stopped school bus run up against frustrated mom

It's a rampant problem in Nova Scotia, where the Nova Scotia School BoardsAssociation saiddrivers failed to stop 1,500 times last year alone.

• Nova Scotia drivers ignoring flashing school bus lights a growing problem: official

"I'm disgusted that people actually do that," saidparent Patricio Garcia. "These are kids getting on the bus."

In Nova Scotia, when a school bus has its red lights flashing, traffic must come to a stop in both directions. Drivers can only resume once the red lights have been turned off.

Impatient drivers

Garcia's seven-year-old son, who is on the autism spectrum, boards a bus directly in front of their home in the Rockingham area of Halifax.Garcia saidhe witnessed drivers in both directions failing to stop when lights were flashing and the stop-arm was extended.

"We had people that would lay on the horn when they were behind the bus," saidGarcia."Some would pass the bus just as the bus was stopping."

He said he'sconcerned his son might get hit by a vehicle.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dal Hutchinson saiddrivers on the road are frequently distracted, whether from daily stress ortextingwhile driving.

• Nova Scotia school buses illegally passed 1,100 times this year

"People are in a rush. Far too often, we see people not slowing down," said Hutchinson.

He said the cases are difficult to investigate because it'schallenging for witnesses to gather information, such as full licence plate numbers and the make andmodel of a vehicle as it's speeding by.

Hefty fines

The maximum fine for failing to stop for a school bus with flashing lights is $1,272.50.

Nova Scotia School BoardsAssociation spokesperson Trish Smith said putting more cameras on buses would help, but shesaidthe $3,500 cost per camera is a barrier.

Smith saidboards are ensuring buses with cameras are assigned to routes with higher numbers of violations.