Petition on White House web site seeks ‘severe’ penalties for running school bus lights

(WISH) — A petition posted on the web site of the White House is seeking severe penalties for people who ignore red lights and stop signs on school buses.

The petition was posted on Oct. 31, the day after three Indiana children were killed while waiting for the bus in Rochester.

“Children are being injured or killed due to people running the alternating reds on school busses. Individual state laws are largely ineffective and typically have no significant penalty,” the petition reads.

The petition seeks harsh penalties for violators, including 90 days in jail, a 90 day suspended license, 12 points on the driver’s license and a mandatory minimum fine of $5,000 for first-time offenders.

The petition needs 100,000 signatures by Nov. 30 in order to receive a response from the White House. As of Monday morning, just under 3,000 people had signed the petition.