MUKWONAGO, Wis. — The Mukwonago School District is seeing more than three drivers a day pass school buses since the start of the school year. Mukwonago police are averaging a ticket a day for those violations.
Shannon Guzman, a parent in the district, said the danger is real. In the few seconds it takes for her children and neighboring kids to cross the road from their school bus, drivers have gone around the extended stop sign.
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"The kids have to cross coming home," Guzman said.
Guzman's home video captured a car driving past her bus stop's extended stop sign as children were crossing.
"So basically the car went around the stop sign," Guzman said.
TMJ4 showed Guzman a video from Mukwonago police of a close call last year in her neighborhood. She said her 9-year-old neighbor and sibling were nearly hit.
Mukwonago police have shared several recent videos showing the pattern of violations. In one, two buses activate their flashing red lights and stop signs, and two vehicles — one after the other — drive around them. In another, a driver goes right past an extended red stop sign. In a third, a car drives around the bus as the stop sign is out.
Lt. Rob Kreiser of the Village of Mukwonago Police said violations have been on the rise.
"They have picked up this year," Kreiser said.
When officers speak to drivers cited for the violations, Kreiser said most offer a similar excuse.
"They are simply saying, 'Oh, I saw the bus, but I didn't realize the red lights were on,'" Kreiser said.
Kreiser said police are now stepping up patrols around school bus stops.
Guzman said the children in her neighborhood were seconds away from being hit — and they had done everything right. They waited for the stop sign to go out and for the bus driver to signal them to cross.
"You have adults who are driving who don't follow the rules and are putting our kids in danger," Guzman said. "It is a few seconds you have to wait."
Drivers who illegally pass a school bus face a fine of more than $700. Police can also issue tickets using video from school bus cameras.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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