School is in full swing now across the Northland. And that means buses are on the roads, all the time now.

Willow River just experienced their first stop arm violation of the season last week. And that bothers Nathan Berg, Transportation Supervisor for Willow River. He’s known as Mr. Nate when he drives the school bus.

“We are hauling kids, morning and afternoon, and we have protocols when it comes to the stop arm. And the public is still blowing by,” he said.

You may remember they had a pretty scary one last December, when a woman almost hit a couple of kids crossing the road.

Berg said it’s important to remember the lights. On top of the bus, the orange light will flash when they are getting ready to stop. Then the red ones will flash when they come to a complete stop and the sign and arm are out.

The lower lights are hazards and brake ones.

Bus drivers are watching for many things, all at once. So he encourages families discuss good behavior with their students. “The bus is an extension of the classroom,” he added. “If you can’t do it there, you can’t do it on the bus.”

He’ll be speaking at the Toward Zero Deaths conference next month.

Berg also does training with the K-12 kids about riding the bus and crossing safely.

Last year, there were over 1800 stop arm violations in Minnesota, according to the Department of Public Safety. The number only continues to get higher, year after year.

For more information: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/msp/commercial-vehicles/Pages/school-bus-safety.aspx