Interesting story and the creation of laws and the reason for them. This kind of report could be an interesting news column to research and explain why we have certain laws and maybe even come up with reasons to abolish some laws that are no longer viable.

Most people don't understand why we have some laws or even read any of the laws we have. Laws are full of fine print that can only be understood by reading it.

Almost every law has an intent of the law and the reason for it in the descriptions to it. This part of the law is often overlooked in enforcement but is the most crucial part of the law.

As in this case of the bus/train law it takes an older generation to define and explain it to the new generations.

Great article, Thanks! I always wondered why a school bus driver opened the door at railroad crossings.

My dad took over that bus route following the accident. Even though I wasn't born until 13 years later, that accident was something that we always knew about. Thanks for more information.

Some people wonder why we have so many rules, but there is always a reason. Too many have had to be written because somebody lost their life.

This law applies not only to buses but to all common carriers (taxis, limos, chartered buses, etc.) and any truck carrying any hazardous substance. But have you ever seen them all stop? Probably only at ungated railroad crossings. The law makes sense at ungated railroad crossings which was probably the case at the crossing in the story, but it needs to be updated for crossings that have active gates with lights and warning bells. The technology employed at a gated crossing makes it much safer today than even a street intersection with a traffic signal. When a train approaches the gates go down. If the power goes out the gates are switched to battery backup for 8 hours and then if no power is restored then they go down and stay down. You can't say that about traffic signals where people are always running them and getting killed. And when the power goes out the traffic lights don't work at all.

My grandma's brother had to go and pick up all the body parts of the people who died. And the bus driver was my grandma's best friends brother, and now sister in law to my grandma. My family is very grateful for the law.