Video shows multiple drivers passing stopped school bus in Orange County

Drivers ignoring stopped school buses

Multiple drivers are seen on video driving past a stopped school bus in Orange County.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A video shared exclusively with FOX 35 shows multiple drivers passing a stopped school bus in Orange County, and it's a problem some say that's only getting worse.

"This is ongoing, every day," Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) bus monitor Clyde Mitchell said Friday.

FOX 35's Pattrik Perez showed the video to Mitchell, the executive vice president of the Orange Education Support Professionals Association (OESPA), the union representing OCPS bus drivers. He was a bus driver for more than a decade.

"It's very dangerous," he said, "plus they're breaking the law."

While what the video shows may be surprising to some, Mitchell says this is a problem school bus drivers deal with all the time.

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He blames the growth in Orange County and drivers from other countries who may not be familiar with the laws.

"If a child has to walk across the street, I mean, they don't have time to stop. They'll run that child over," Mitchell said.

In Florida, passing a stopped school bus is illegal. If caught, penalties could include a ticket, the completion of a driver improvement course, and a minimum fine of $165. If you happen to hurt a child by not stopping for a school bus, the penalties are much worse.

Mitchell hopes the video serves as a good reminder of what you shouldn't do.

"It's not right for the drivers. It's not right for the students," he said.

Below is a detailed illustration from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on what you must do if you come across a stopped school bus.