'I stop, you stop' for school bus safety

NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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The Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is participating in School Bus Safety week Oct. 22-28 and have one key message: I stop, you stop. The OPP's goal is to educate the public about the requirements of stopping for school buses.

Drivers across the province continue to disobey school bus lights every day and the OPP have responded to numerous complaints regarding aggressive drivers who fail to stop for the red flashing lights of the school bus.

When there is no median, motorists travelling in both directions, must stop for a stopped school bus that has its overheard red signal lights flashing. Drivers are not to proceed until the lights on the school bus have stopped flashing. The stop arm is not required to be extended.

Vehicle owners can also be charged if their vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus, regardless of who is driving the vehicle at the time.

Penalties include fines from $400 to $4,000, up to six months in jail and six demerit points upon conviction for drivers.

"Our main goal is keeping our children safe and reducing the number of vehicles that fail to stop for a school bus," says acting Staff Sergeant Ken Spahr.

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