Members of the OPP’s West Region will take part in a region-wide school bus safety campaign known as Safety Stops Here, beginning today and running throughout the region until Monday March 9th with officers conducting focused enforcement aimed at drivers who fail to make safety a priority and who place children at risk.
Throughout the campaign, officers will be monitoring roadways to ensure motorists understand and follow the laws designed to protect students. When a school bus activates its yellow flashing lights, it signals that the bus is preparing to stop. Drivers travelling in both directions are required to slow down and be ready to stop. Once the red lights begin flashing and the stop arm is extended, the bus has come to a full stop, and vehicles approaching from both directions must stop as well. The only exception is on roads separated by a concrete median, where drivers on the opposite side of the median are not required to stop.
Motorists are also urged to reduce their speed and exercise heightened caution when travelling through school zones, where children may be present and less predictable in their movements.
Passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing not only endangers young lives, but also carries significant penalties. A first offence can result in a fine ranging from $400 to $2,000 and the addition of six demerit points to a driver’s record.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to continue reinforcing safe practices with their children, including the importance of following safety rules when boarding and exiting school buses.
Written by: C. Soares