CHAPPELL -- The Deuel County Sheriff's Office has been made aware of multiple traffic violations regarding school bus signals.

Nebraska Statute 60-6.,75 defines how a motorist is to approach a school bus.

"Upon meeting or overtaking any school bus from either the front or the rear, the driver of the motor vehicle shall: * reduce speed to not more than 25 miles per hour if the bus displays flashing yellow warning signal lights; * bring the vehicle to a complete stop when the bus is stopped, the stop signal arm is extended, and the flashing red signal lights are turned on: and * remain stopped until the flashing lights are off, the stop signal arm is retracted ad the bus resumes motion."

Violation of this statute is a Class IV Misdemeanor  with a $500 fine and three points assessed against the driver's record.

The exception is for approaching traffic in the opposition direction on a divided highway or to approaching traffic when there is a sign directing the traffic to proceed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that from 2012 to 2021 there were 998 fatal school-transportation-related crashes, and 1,110 people of all ages were killed in those crashes—an average of 111 fatalities per year. There were 1.6 times more fatalities among pedestrians (183) than occupants of school transportation vehicles (113) in school transportation-related crashes from 2012 to 2021. From 2012 to 2021 there were 206 school-age children who died in school-transportation-related crashes; 42 were occupants of school transportation vehicles, 80 were occupants of other vehicles, 78 were pedestrians, five were pedal cyclists, and 1 was an “other” non-occupant.