Gwen Rummell Reporting – As schools begin reopening for the upcoming year, motorists have to share the road and follow school bus laws.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on a single day during the 2017-2018 school year, 108,623 school bus drivers reported almost 84,000 motorists passing their buses illegally.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell warns motorists about the possible consequences of unlawfully passing school buses.
“No matter whether it’s your first charge or not, the judge has the ability to suspend your driver’s license based off of improper passing of a school bus and you can get a fine up to $500 on top of the court costs. It’s something that is taken very seriously in Ohio law and you need to be concerned with.”
Sheriff Campbell explains that if a school bus is stopped on the road, even without its flashers on or its stop sign out, motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from the bus.
The vehicle operator can only proceed once the bus resumes motion or the bus driver signals them past.
School bus drivers believing a motorist has illegally passed them while stopped can report the license plate number and location to law enforcement.
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