With the first day of school upon us, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has issued a safety reminder for area motorists.
"Drivers can be charged if they pass a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing," the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said in a news release. "A first offence carries a minimum fine of $490 and six demerit points. Multiple violations can result in fines as high as $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time."
A new system on Ontario school buses is aimed at keeping students safe by warning drivers that the bus is about to stop.
Full text of the news release follows:
Today is the day…happy first day of school to students, teachers, school staff, and of course…. parents!
Children and youth in @cityssm and @princetownship will be excited to get to school to see their classmates, teachers, and support staff. Excitement may cause them to forget traffic safety rules. We all play a role to keep our children safe, so it is crucial all motorists are cautious while driving around our neighbourhoods.
Throughout the school year, Sault Police regularly receive complaints from the public about motorists not properly stopping for school buses or at designated school crossings and speeding in school zones. We all play a role to keep students, bus drivers and crossing guards safe. Slow down, be vigilant for vehicles transporting students and crossing guards helping students to cross our area roadways safely.
This year, a new safety measure has been added to all school buses in Ontario. Now there is an amber light affixed to each bus, which will warn motorists a school bus will soon be coming to a stop.
It is important all of us know and follow the rules so we can properly stop for busses and school crossings.
• Drivers travelling in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing
• When approaching a bus, stop at a safe distance (approximately 20 metres is recommended) to let children get on or off the bus and cross the road
• Do not move forward until the upper red lights have stopped flashing or the bus begins to move
• All motorists, including cyclists, must stop and yield the entire roadway. Only when pedestrians and school crossing guards have completely crossed the road can you continue on your way.
Drivers can be charged if they pass a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing.
A first offence carries a minimum fine of $490 and six demerit points. Multiple violations can result in fines as high as $4,000, six demerit points and possible jail time. Vehicle owners can be charged if their vehicle illegally passes a stopped school bus, even if they are not driving at the time of the violation.
Drivers can be charged if they endanger pedestrians at school crossings. A first offence carries a minimum fine of $365 and four demerit points. Multiple violations can result in fines as high as $2,000, six demerit points, possible jail time and licence suspension.
Parents, guardians, caretakers, teachers, school bus drivers and crossing guards - we urge you all to discuss school bus, road, and bicycle safety with children in your lives. The more all of us know, the greater the odds we have of avoiding a serious incident during this school year. Happy back to school everyone!