A girl was nearly struck by a car that ignored the flashing lights of a school bus near Princeton on Jan. 22.
She was crossing Highway 3 west of town when the driver passed the bus and the near miss occurred, according to RCMP Sgt. Rob Hughes.
The driver faces a $368 fine.
Just three days early, police wrote three other tickets for illegally passing a school bus when its lights and stop sign were activated.
The tickets were written after police reviewed video supplied by the bus company on Jan. 19.
“The school bus has an unbelievable video surveillance camera,” said Hughes. “So think twice.”
In B.C. motorists are required to stop for a school bus, whether they are approaching the bus or travelling behind it, he added.
Bus drivers activate lights, and a stop sign arm indicates traffic must halt as children are leaving or entering the bus.
“There’s only one reason a bus stops in the middle of the road and that is for children to get on or off,” said Hughes.
“There’s a reason for that equipment.”
A second offence for passing a school bus will cost a motorist $668 and a third offence is punished with a fine of more than $1,000.
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