EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — When close calls happen, it takes your breath away -- cars running right past the school bus stop arm, sometimes nearly hitting children.
Byron school bus driver Mickey Reed said last year, a car actually hit a young girl getting off his bus despite him laying on the horn.
"Unfortunately the driver still hit the young girl, knocked her to the ground. Then it was a relief to see her get up and move and walk away," Reed said.
Statewide, the stats are encouraging. The number of stop-arm citations has gone down every year since 2014, from 1,573 to 1,164 in 2018.
But some districts are seeing an uptick this school year.
Eastern Carver County School's bus company logged 32 violations last year and is on pace for more, with 21 already this year.
And Eden Prairie has already matched last year's total of 45 violations, with more than three months left in the school year.
"I have kids myself, and I think it's really important to pay attention. If someone ran a stop arm when my child is out at the bus stop, I'd be pretty upset about it also," said Eden Prairie Police Sgt. Ron Henke.
Saint Paul Schools transportation director Tom Burr says districts alter routes and bus stops to try to cut down on this danger.
"It's an ongoing battle that we work on daily," Burr said.
But ultimately, they need drivers to avoid distractions and be careful.
"I don't want this to happen to any parent, any child, any bus driver in this state," Reed said.