The Michigan State Police (MSP) Calumet Post will be honored during the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission (GTSAC) annual awards celebration Wednesday at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing for educating motorists about safely sharing the road with school buses.

The commission honors organizations, programs and individuals for outstanding involvement in traffic safety. The awards ceremony is part of the 25th Annual Michigan Traffic Safety Summit. Three long-term awards, six Outstanding Traffic Safety Achievement awards and one student award are being presented.

Three schools in the Calumet area reported having problems with motorists illegally passing school buses. Tpr. Kevin Rajala distributed a news release during the 2018-19 school year highlighting the school bus safety initiative. The Calumet Post ran three dedicated school bus patrols, focused on the weeks before and after holidays. A total of 74 hours was spent on the patrols, with the most number of traffic stops made at the beginning of the patrol.

At the conclusion of the school bus safety initiative, school bus drivers reported fewer problems, with some schools reporting no issues. A news release was sent out at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year reminding motorists of the laws regarding school buses.

The GTSAC was formed in 2002 to serve as the state’s forum for identifying key traffic safety challenges and developing and implementing plans to address those issues. The commission includes representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation and MSP and departments of: Education, Health and Human Services and State, as well as the Office of the Governor, Aging and Adult Services Agency and Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning. There are also three representatives from local government appointed by the governor.