OPP remind drivers about school buses

ESSEX COUNTY —- The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Essex County Detachment is reminding the motoring public that every driver must stop for school buses.

The OPP sent out a statement after a close call in Kingsville on Monday.

“With the return of students to in-person learning, we also have the return of school buses on the roads,” said the statement. “For drivers, that means maintaining a heightened level of awareness for students getting on or getting off a school bus or when travelling near or through a school zone. A distraction of a split-second can be enough to cause a devastating collision.”

Police were contacted by a concerned resident after a vehicle failed to stop in the area of Conservation and Marshwoods Boulevards in Kingsville while the school bus was stopped with the stop arm out and overhead red lights flashing.

“This was a very dangerous act that could have had fatal consequences if an innocent child had been crossing the roadway,” said the statement. “Police are reminding all drivers to slow down and to pay attention to the roadway.”

Drivers approaching a stopped school bus from the front with its overhead red signal lights flashing must stop in front of the school bus and not pass until the signals are turned off and the bus moves.

Vehicle owners need to be aware that if the driver can’t be identified, the owner can be charged for the offence provided the licence plate number is obtained by any witness. If convicted, the driver/owner can be fined not less than $400 up to $2,000 for a first offence and a fine not less than $1,000 - $ 4,000 or imprisonment for a subsequent offence(s). The penalty section also levies six demerit points to a driver’s licence.

“This is the responsibility of drivers when they approach a school bus with red lights flashing to come to a safe stop,” said OPP Inspector Glenn Miller. “We ask that anyone witnessing these incidents to immediately call 911 with the plate and description of the vehicle. This law is in place to protect our most valuable resource — young children.”