Drivers risk a $1,000 fine when cops first start enforcing the new law – pay close attention when you hit the road

SPEEDSTERS will be hit with quadruple traffic fine rates for a safety breach that claimed the life of a child earlier this year.

Drivers in Savannah, Georgia will now have to pay a $1,000 fine for a road violation that was previously a maximum charge of $250.

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As school returns this week across the region for the fall, officials are reminding car owners that fines have increased for being caught passing a school bus.

A new regulation called Addy’s Law took effect in Georgia earlier this month, increasing the initial fine to $1,000 and possible prison time, CBS affiliate WTOC reported.

The law is named after late eight-year-old Adalynn Pierce, who was struck by a car and killed while trying to board a school bus in February.

It asks drivers to be aware of their actions as there is no remedy for recklessness and one part of the bill asks schools to examine their bus stops to see if there is anything that can be done to make them safer.

In the case of the young child, the flashing lights on her school bus were supposed to protect the third grader as she crossed the street to catch the bus.

An approaching driver ignored the bright red light and ordered them to stop and wait for the children to cross.

“I’ve seen so many videos of near misses,” shared SCCPSS Executive Director of Transportation Linetta Mills.

“Students who come so close to being hit.”

Because of this, school officials have been encouraging drivers to be especially attentive when on the road during the first few weeks of school as bus drivers and students become accustomed to their routes.

“Things won’t move as quickly as they used to in the first two weeks. And so, we know that,” said Police Department Chief Terry Enoch.

“We know we have some areas where there could be a lot of congestion, so we will support that to try and minimize congestion as much as we can,

“We just ask that our drivers, our parents and our students be patient with us during the first two weeks.”

THE NEW LAW

Alexa Wright is the loved one who started the petition that resulted in the new law on behalf of her younger sister.

She created a petition demanding change almost immediately after NBC affiliate Addy’s death WXIA-TV reported.

School bus ticket laws

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), it is illegal in all 50 states to pass a school bus when it is stopped, the red strobe lights are flashing, and the stop sign is activated.

“All states require that traffic in both directions stop on undivided highways when students enter or exit a school bus,” the agency’s website says.

Florida launched a program in May 2024 that will cite drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses with the help of AI-powered cameras to capture images of the violators, citing a key law.

In Florida, Chapter 316, Title 19, says:

• Any person using, operating or driving a vehicle upon the roads or highways of this state shall, when approaching any school bus displaying a stop sign, come to a complete stop of such vehicle while the bus is stopped, and the vehicle shall not overtake the bus school until the sign is removed. Anyone who violates this section commits a movable offense, punishable as provided in chapter 318.
• Any person who uses, operates, or drives a vehicle that passes a school bus on the side on which children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop sign commits a moving violation, punishable as provided in Chapter 318, and is subject to a mandatory hearing under the provisions of s. 318.19

Source: NHSTA, Florida Legislature

Addy’s Law is the result of your efforts.

“It doesn’t bring her back, but it’s something that honors her,” Wright expressed.

“This prevents accidents like this from happening to someone else’s child.”

The loss of her younger sister planted a pain in her that turned into determination.

“She was the best there was,” Wright said.

“No one likes her anymore. She loved Jesus. That’s what brings me comfort, knowing she’s okay. She’s with Jesus. She doesn’t need to suffer.”