HINSDALE — On the morning of Feb. 12, Emily Quail’s 7-year-old son was nearly struck by a vehicle that failed to stop for his school bus on Route 8.

Despite the bus’s flashing lights and extended stop sign, the vehicle sped past, coming so close it nearly ran over the boy’s toes.

It was a terrifying experience for Quail and her family, especially with two of her children using the bus stop.

“Everybody’s flying down that road, and our children’s safety comes first,” she said.

On Wednesday, Quail and her husband, Ryen, who live on Main Street near Wetherell’s Hinsdale Garage, spoke at the Hinsdale Select Board meeting. The Quails highlighted how Route 8 is a heavily traveled main road, how speeding past buses has been a frequent issue and the need for more action.

The family lives on Main Street near Wetherell’s Hinsdale Garage.

“There hasn’t been a big police presence down in that area, and it shows,” Ryen Quail said. “We need that help again.”

Hinsdale Town Administrator Robert Graves said the town has put in a request to MassDOT for a trailer sign that could lower speeds on the road. “We think that this could help, and after this happened, we put that request in,” Graves said, adding that the town is hoping to get the sign this summer.

Graves also said the town could explore using cones in the middle of the road to help slow down drivers.

The town posted a “Stop for school buses and school vans” public safety notice on its website the day of the incident. The notice highlights that at 20 mph, a pedestrian has roughly a 10-percent chance of being killed, at 30 mph, the risk of death rises to 50 percent; and at 40 mph, the risk exceeds 80 percent.

“Under Massachusetts law, drivers must stop for school buses and school pupil transport vehicles when red lights are flashing and the stop sign is extended,” the notice states. Violations can result in significant fines, license suspension and criminal charges.

At the Select Board meeting on Wednesday, the Quails, who have three children, spoke about their bus stop issue on Route 8, involving their two sons who go to Kittredge Elementary School. Their 7-year-old son rides a regular bus, while their 5-year-old son, who has special needs, rides in a school transport van.

Emily Quail said that despite the van being marked “school bus” with flashing lights, vehicles routinely fail to stop for it.

“Those are children that can elope, that can unbuckle,” she said. “If one of those kids flies off that van and somebody’s not there, that’s like the most terrifying thing to think about.”

Hinsdale Police Chief Bruce Cullett, who is also chief in Peru, said that the department's day shift has been directed to pay attention to the major bus routes in town and will also focus on the Route 8 area, as well as drop-off locations at the school. Cullett also acknowledged that school bus violations — especially those involving school transport vans — are a problem in surrounding areas.

“It doesn’t appear to be a typical school bus, and a lot of people, unfortunately, don’t recognize it that way,” he said.

Hinsdale resident Emily Quail said that despite the Central Berkshire Regional School District van being marked “School bus” with flashing lights, vehicles routinely fail to stop for it. “Those are children that can elope, that can unbuckle,” she said. “If one of those kids flies off that van and somebody’s not there, that’s like the most terrifying thing to think about.”

Emily Quail said that she and her husband are “definitely happy with everything that has been discussed” and said she’s been in contact with Central Berkshire Regional School District Superintendent Michael Henault about the situation.

“We take all safety concerns very seriously,” Henault wrote in an email to The Eagle, adding that the district is planning on purchasing a new van equipped with upgraded lights and stop arms.

“This is dependent on state funding, but we are advocating that rural aid be fully funded this year and are hopeful that this could be purchased as early as next school year,” he said.

Parents have complained of dangerous drivers along Route 8 in Hinsdale during school bus stops to the Hinsdale Select Board, requesting more police presence at the bus stop and action from the town. “There hasn’t been a big police presence down in that area, and it shows,” Hinsdale resident Ryen Quail said. “We need that help again.”

Henault also said that Greg Boino, the district's director of finance and operations, is actively exploring retrofitting the current vans with stop arms, and obtaining price quotes for the work.

“District van drivers are using updated protocols that include contacting the police [whenever] a driver puts student safety at risk,” Henault said.