Starting on August 28, the first day back to school for New Canaan students, New Canaan police will begin increasing traffic enforcements with more officers in the area of schools, said Sgt. Carol Ogrinc.
Ogrinc advises drivers to give themselves ample time in their morning commute in order to deal with the increase in traffic as residents return from vacation and students are dropped off/picked up from school.
Along with looking out for drivers breaking the speed limit and operating while using a cell phone, police are cracking down on drivers passing stopped school buses.
“The amber lights on the stop sign mean you should prepare to stop,” said Ogrinc, “which is then followed by the flashing red lights, which indicate the bus will stop and there is to be no passing.”
A school bus with red flashing lights unloading students is not to be passed in any vicinity, whether it is on the road or in a parking lot, said Ogrinc.
If a driver passes a stopped school bus, the bus driver will report the vehicle information to police, at which point the driver is subject to a $460 fine. New Canaan police also release the names of violators, stressing their zero tolerance for passing a stopped school bus.
