The Highway Patrol will be conducting a seat belt and Stop for the School Bus campaign in the vicinity of every high school in the nine counties in Troop D on the opening days of school this year. This will be a continuation of campaigns to increase the use of seat belts and watch out for the safety of our children as they load and unload school buses. Troopers will be watching for drivers who flagrantly violate the law against passing a stopped school bus, and for both drivers and passengers who are not belted.

According to a survey conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 46% of high school students dropped off at schools by adults in the morning aren't wearing seat belts. Of those 46%, half of them are riding with an adult driver who is wearing a seat belt. This means that half of those parents are not setting the safety standard for their teens by wearing their own seat belts, and the other half are not making their children buckle up as they do. North Carolina law requires all drivers and front seat passengers age 16 and older to be secured by a seat belt.

The opening dates for school systems in Troop D are:

For additional information or to arrange to cover this enforcement campaign, please contact Traffic Safety Information Officer Sgt. Phil Wadsworth at 336-334-5621.