When flashing lights and an extended stop arm are displayed on a school bus, motorists are required to stop at least 10 feet in front or behind the bus. Motorists must remain stopped until the school bus begins moving again.
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OSHP wrote 1,803 citations from 2016 to 2018 for violating this law.
When a school bus is stopped on a roadway, the following regulations apply:
- Motorists are required to stop when a school bus has flashing lights and an extended stop arm displayed. Motorists are not required to stop during the preliminary stage of an eight-light warning, but should prepare to stop.
- On a road with fewer than four lanes, motorists approaching the bus must stop from both directions at least 10 feet from the front or rear of the bus.
- On a road with four lanes or more, motorists proceeding in the same direction must stop.
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State troopers ticketing drivers for not stopping for school buses has increased every year since 2018, according to five-year data obtained from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
School bus drivers will report the license plate number of a motorist unlawfully passing a stopped bus.
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