A Threat To Children’s Safety

To the Editor:

My family and I are residents of East Street which is off Main Street. My son Daniel, who is a fourth grader at Hawley School, rides Mr John Cash’s bus to and from school each day. He is picked up and dropped off on Main Street across from the General Store. We, in Newtown are fortunate that are children have courteous, dependable, safe bus service. Unfortunately, this sense of safety is marred because many automobile and truck drivers totally disregard the traffic law which states that vehicles must stop when a school bus’ red lights are flashing.

In the last two days at least eight vehicles on Main Street have passed Mr Cash’s bus when the red lights were flashing and the stop sign exhibited. I don’t believe most people would deliberately endanger a child’s safety or life. Then, why do drivers pass a school bus which is picking up or dropping off children? I believe the answer it twofold. Some drivers, residents and non-residents of Newtown speed through town, oblivious of the speed limit and of the fact that pedestrians are attempting to cross Main Street and that school bus drivers are transporting children to and from school. The other group of drivers are inattentive to what is going on around them. By the time they become aware of the stopped school bus they have already passed it. These two groups of drivers pose a serious threat to the safety of our children.

I called the Newtown Police yesterday and was advised that the drivers are expected to report these incidents to the police. I requested that the Newtown Police have a presence on Main Street when the buses are picking up and dropping off children. I called the police again this morning after a truck barreled passed Mr Cash’s bus as he was picking up a child on Main Street and made the same request.

The school bus drivers, parents, and concerned Newtown residents can be outraged and appalled from now till doomsday by some vehicle drivers flagrant disregard of this traffic law. The bottom line is we need the commitment and assistance of the Newtown Police to combat this threat to our children’s safety.

Sincerely,

Bernadette McSweeney - Licensed Clinical Social Worker

4 East Street, Newtown              September 20, 2000