Back-to-school safety: When to stop for a school bus

Many students from Clark and Champaign Counties are back in school this week.

This means motorist should allow extra time for school bus stops, slow down in school speed zones, and follow school bus regulations.

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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