Texting Bus Driver Video Results in Suspension After School Student Catches Driver in Florida (VIDEO)
A texting bus driver has been reprimanded after he was captured texting while driving a school bus by an eighth grade student he was transporting in Florida.
The 14 year old student has since said that she was originally trying to record the bus driver to capture her cursing and yelling at students on the bus. However, instead she caught the woman on camera doing something much more dangerous as she got out her mobile phone while driving.
The video footage shows the driver steering the bus, loaded full with children, as she continuously looks down at her cell phone.
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At one point the woman can even be seen suddenly grabbing the wheel more frantically and jerking the vehicle back in lane as she appears to be drifting into the wrong lane. Moment after that incident she returns to looking down at her cell phone, seemingly texting someone.
The video footage has been reviewed by her bosses, who have since placed her on suspension for violating policy.
Angry parents have since spoken out against the driver for putting their children's lives at risk with her careless driving. However, as Florida does not currently have any legislation in effect banning texting while driving, the school bus driver was not technically breaking any laws – she only broke school policy.
Florida does have a texting while driving ban on the way, but the legislation does not come into effect until October 1, 2013. But amazingly, that ban will not include bus drivers, and private bus companies and school administrators have been told that they should regulate their own private rules for their drivers.
In 2011, more than 3,000 people were reportedly killed in accidents involving a distracted driver.
Here is the video footage taken by the student of the school bus driver texting while driving that has resulted in her suspension:
