There's a problem on the roads of Bedford County.
Drivers are behaving badly around school buses, causing numerous accidents and near misses.
"I think people deliberately do not want to wait for a school bus," said Jen Neel, who has been driving a school bus for Bedford County Public Schools for three years.
"Drivers are in a rush," Neel said, adding that people constantly ignore her lights and signals.
"Usually every day someone is running my lights on one of my runs," said Neel.
Neel took us for a ride on one of her routes Monday. At her very first stop, we watched a driver blow past her flashing stop sign.
It's a problem that's putting students in danger. In October, a Goodview Elementary School student was hit while trying to board a school bus in front of his home.
"There seems to be a lack of understanding when it comes to the rules, and lack of consideration," said Bedford County Public School's Chief Financial Officer Randy Hagler, who oversees the county's fleet of buses.
"We're seeing about 3,500 violations of people running stop signs on our buses each year," Hagler said.
It's especially a problem on four-lane roads with no median. Drivers in the oncoming lanes often aren't aware that they have to stop for a bus with red lights.
"When you see stopped bus, you should anticipate the same thing you see at a school: small children not paying attention and that could endanger their lives," said Hagler."
Bedford County is asking everyone to practice safer driving around school buses. For those who don't heed that warning, bus drivers are taking down license plate numbers.
Neel is going a step further.
"If I see somebody getting ready to run, I'll open my window and point to them, and try to make eye contact," Neel said.
The school system is asking parents to stay with their children at the bus stop. They're hoping that extra supervision will keep more students from getting hit.
