Increased police presence at Nassau County school zones for National School Bus Safety Week

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office announced an increase in police presence in school zones. This is to enhance safety for students during National School Bus Safety Week.

To help get their point across, they shared with Action News Jax a terrifying school bus video of a student who nearly avoids being struck by a truck.

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The sheriff’s office shared the footage from 2016 on its Facebook page. It shows a close call between a student and a distracted log truck driver shortly after exiting a bus.

“This boils down to staying vigilant,” Nassau County Sheriff Lt. Chauncey Mason said.

Lt. Mason said this wouldn’t be the first time the department has seen something like this.

“We have seen it before, that’s why we stress the school bus and school zone safety,” Lt. Mason said.

Lt. Mason said the department has written about 130 traffic tickets for violations near school zones.

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“We have officers to monitor our high traffic areas like Bryceville where we got complaints. The Yulee Middle and High School are high-traffic areas. We usually have deputies there with flashing lights showing a presence there,” Lt. Mason said.

Beginning this week, Lt. Mason said up to four additional officers will patrol those areas as students load and unload from buses.

He reminds drivers of key safety tips, including the requirement to stop for school buses that have their stop signs extended and lights flashing.

“Stay off those cell phones. Be mindful of what time of day it is to look for when children will be out and about,” Lt. Mason said.

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The sheriff’s office warns that violators of school bus laws face significant penalties, which can include hefty fines and points on their driving records.

“Jail time for egregious actions to a warn to a traffic citation that could range from hundreds of dollars.”

The National School Bus Safety Week will end on Friday.

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office encourages parents and guardians to discuss these important safety measures with their children.

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