Many motorists have been convicted and charged since Hanover School Division outfitted their buses with interior and exterior cameras last year in an effort to improve bus safety.

Director of Transportation Robert Warkentin says these cameras are but one of the initiatives taken to improve safety around buses, another is the annually observed “Bus Safety Week” which happens every third week of October.

“My School Bus: The Safest Form of Student Transportation” is this year’s theme as students all across the division take part in bus evacuation drills, and other events developed to increase their awareness.

A common thing students wonder is why their buses do not have seat-belts, mentions Warkentin, who explains: “Buses are structurally designed in what is called compartmentalization. Basically, in a collision, the student will slide off the seat and into the seat in front of them and that will absorb the impact.”

Warkentin insists that Bus Safety Week is not exclusively for students, and should also serve as a reminder for motorists to be careful. “We need to be very aware of school buses. We want our kids to get to and from school in the safest manner possible.”

With 57 out of 86 buses already sporting the new camera technology, Warkentin expects caution around buses to only increase. Still, he urges motorists to be wary around buses and skip the fines by driving responsibly in the first place.