Local motorists didn't know it at the time, but they had an added incentive to obey traffic laws regarding school buses last week. As Associate City Editor Heather Ziegler reported, some of the buses were carrying West Virginia state troopers in addition to students. They were followed by other troopers in unmarked cruisers, ready to arrest those who passed stopped buses.
It was part of a program in 12 counties, intended to crack down on scofflaws who endanger children by passing stopped school buses. It happens as frequently as 600 times a day in the Mountain State.
At that rate it is only a matter of time until some children are hit and perhaps killed in accidents at bus stops.
Local school and law enforcement officials have stepped up enforcement of the law against passing a stopped school bus. The new State Police program, which we hope will be repeated, should help.
There is no excuse for passing a stopped school bus. Those arrested for the offense should be punished as severely as the law allows.
