Norristown, West Norriton Police Conducting 'Operation Safe Stop' Today

Drivers travelling through Norristown and West Norriton this morning may want to play especially close attention to obeying traffic laws.

According to a release issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), local and state police, school districts and student transportation contractors will join forces in communities throughout the state today to conduct "Operation Safe Stop" – a school-bus safety public awareness and enforcement campaign designed to educate drivers about Pennsylvania’s school-bus stopping law.

Starting at 7:30 a.m. PennDOT, the Montgomery County Health Department and Norristown and West Norriton Police departments will be following school buses to Gotwals and Whitehall Elementary schools, watching for drivers who violate the state’s school bus stopping law. 

The operation is part of National School Bus Safety Week, which runs through Oct. 26. Participating law-enforcement officers will follow or ride buses, while others in hidden locations will stay on alert to issue citations. If possible, school bus drivers will also collect data regarding the frequency, time of day and location of illegal passes to help determine the extent of the safety risk in those communities.

For more information about school bus safety, visit PennDOT’s highway safety website and select “Traffic Safety Information Center,” then “School Bus Safety.” The website offers an interactive feature illustrating Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law to help motorists learn what to do when approaching or travelling behind a school bus.