Tragedy a Catalyst for Good : School buses will be safer under law pushed by O.C. family

Thomas and Barbara Lanni of Laguna Niguel endured a tragedy of stunning proportions: the death of their 7-year-old son, new to the neighborhood, leaving a bus at the wrong stop and being hit by a truck as he crossed the street.

But the Lannis used the accident as a catalyst for good, successfully campaigning for a new law on school bus safety procedures that they hope will prevent other deaths. Their efforts demonstrate that one family can make a difference and that persistence pays.

Starting in January, California school bus drivers will be required to flash red warning lights at every stop while children exit the bus. This means in many cases motorists going both ways will have to stop. That’s an improvement over the current system in which the lights must flash only if a child leaving the bus will be crossing the street.

The new provisions will cause some delays for motorists, but they are worth it. Many other states already have similar laws; California would have done well to enact the provision years ago.

The Lanni family had moved from New York to Laguna Niguel only a week before the death of their son, who was also named Thomas. Three years ago, on the first day the boy took the bus home from school, he got off at the wrong stop. He mistakenly crossed the street in front of the school bus and was hit by a passing truck, whose driver testified he did not see him until too late. The bus driver said he did not turn on the flashing lights because he didn’t realize the youngster would be crossing the street.

The Lannis first attempted to get a school bus bill passed in 1994 but wound up opposing a watered-down version. A staffer on the state Senate Transportation Committee contended at the time that forcing cars to stop behind a bus on a busy street would increase the opportunity for rear-end accidents.

But that has not been the case elsewhere, according to transportation officials. California drivers know enough to stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing; it should not lead to more accidents.

The new law was written by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside) and signed by Gov. Pete Wilson. In cases in which stopping traffic would be more hazardous than allowing a bus not to use flashers, or in which a traffic officer is stationed, the new rules can be waived.

The Lannis, and their 8-year-old daughter, Kate, visited Sacramento last spring to lobby on behalf of the bill Morrow introduced on their behalf. The new law also requires that school districts enact safety plans that include assurances that students are not left at the wrong bus stops.