With school beginning for many central Ohio districts this week, thousands of schoolchildren will be out along the road, waiting for their buses.
That means drivers need to be aware of when they are required to stop for school buses when they see those yellow and red lights on the road.
This year, the Ohio legislature is examining increasing the penalties for failing to follow the law around stopping for a bus, setting required minimum fines, increasing the maximum fines, increasing the length of the driver’s license suspension, and imposing higher penalties and points on a driver’s license for repeat offenders.
With that in mind, here's a refresher on state law:
What to know about Ohio school bus laws for drivers
According to the Ohio Department of Education:
Yellow lights: A bus is planning to come to a stop.
Red lights and stop arm: The bus is stopping.
Drivers must stop in both directions on a two-lane road.
On a road with fewer than four lanes, all traffic approaching a stopped school bus from either direction must completely stop at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the bus and remain stopped until the bus begins to move or the bus driver signals motorists to proceed.
If the bus is stopped on a street with four or more lanes, only traffic proceeding in the same direction as the bus must stop.
What are the penalties for failing to stop for a bus?
Bus drivers are encouraged to report drivers who fail to stop if they can read their license plates. According to the Ohio Revised Code, motorists may receive up to a $500 fine and possibly get their licenses suspended for up to a year for failure to stop.
In June, however, a bill called the "School Bus Safety Act" passed the Ohio House, which would add a minimum fine and increase the maximum fine as well as increasing the length of a driver’s license suspension and penalties for repeat offenders. Under the proposal, the minimum fine would be $250 and the maximum would increase to $1,000
It would also require all repeat offenders to attend and successfully complete a school bus safety course, developed by the Director of Public Safety, and authorizes first-time offenders to take the course to lower their fine and waive the imposition of points on their license.
The bill must still be approved by the Ohio Senate and signed by Gov. DeWine before becoming law.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at [email protected] or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When do you need to stop for a school bus in Ohio; legislature eyes law
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