SCHOOL BUS LAW FUELS SAFETY FEARS.

Byline: Emily Bazar The Sacramento Bee

New state legislation designed to increase the safety of school bus riders has some officials concerned it could backfire, making roads more dangerous for drivers and students alike.

Starting Jan. 1, the Thomas Edward Lanni School Bus Safety Act of 1997 will require school bus drivers to flash their red lights every time they stop to unload or pick up children, regardless of whether the students will cross the street. The law now requires flashing lights only when children will be crossing the street before boarding or after leaving the bus.

What won't change is the motorist's responsibility. When red lights flash, drivers in both directions - except on a divided road or highway - must come to a complete stop.

Some worry that cars will be forced to stop suddenly on streets and highways with high speed limits or on two-lane roads where traffic can back up quickly, or that some won't stop at all.

``I know cars pass flashing red lights on a regular basis. It drives us nuts,'' said Ben Bergfelt, chief executive officer of the Mid-Placer Public Schools Transportation Agency, which provides bus service to seven school districts and a county special-education program.

``I hope with this law we get more adherence to red lights from the cars. If we don't, this law would have accomplished nothing and would have increased the potential for motor vehicle accidents.''

The law was sparked by the 1994 death of 7-year-old Tommy Lanni Jr. in Southern California. The little boy was hit and killed by a pickup truck as he crossed a street after getting off a school bus.

The bus driver didn't know Tommy would try to cross the street and didn't activate the red flashing lights.

Assemblyman Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, authored the bill and said he wanted to prevent that kind of accident from occurring again.

``When I've been out driving and I've come to a school bus stopped without lights flashing, I remember experiencing uncertainty: Am I supposed to go? Am I supposed to stop?'' he said. ``We need to get the uncertainty out of the law in every instance.''

In addition to altering when bus drivers activate their lights, the bill requires districts to prepare school bus transportation safety plans, he said.

It also allows for certain exceptions.

Buses boarding and unloading disabled students won't have to turn their lights on. And in certain instances where there is a traffic hazard, districts can work with the CHP to exempt those stops from the requirements.

But Morrow, the districts and CHP officials don't expect many exemptions.

``There is too much liability,'' said Kelly Baraga, CHP spokeswoman. ``If the CHP sees a hazard, then in that one case, we may see an exemption. But we will see very few exemptions.''