Nichole Y. Shafer
Guest Columnist
This week my social media has been flooded with those precious back-to-school photos. Most of the photos are with those fancy chalkboards saying what grade the child’s in and who their teacher is this school year. But some of the back-to-school photos show kids getting on the school bus, some for the very first time!
This week it is only fitting to continue the back-to-school theme that I also wrote about last week when discussing school zones, but this time with Ohio school bus laws.
If a school bus is stopped on a road for the purpose of receiving or discharging any school child and that road has fewer than four lanes, you have to stop. Specifically, Ohio law says all vehicles, streetcars, or trackless trollies must stop. This law applies to all lanes when a road has fewer than four lanes, meaning you must stop regardless of the direction you are traveling.
But if a school bus is stopped on a road with four or more lanes, then only the traffic going in the same direction as the school bus must stop.
So now we know when we must stop, but there are also laws on how close to a school bus you are allowed to stop. Ohio law states that you must stop at least ten feet from the front or rear of the school bus. Further, you must remain stopped, and you shall not resume motion until the school bus resumes motion, or until signaled by the school bus driver to proceed.
To help remind the public when they need to stop for a school bus, Ohio law places some requirements on signs and signals that equip our school buses. Ohio law states every school bus should be equipped with amber and red visual signals and an automatically extended stop warning sign. The signals and stop warning sign shall be actuated by the driver of the school bus whenever the bus is stopped or stopping on the road for the purpose of receiving or discharging school children.
However, if a school bus failed to display or be equipped with an automatically extended stop warning sign, Ohio law specifically states that individuals shall still have no defense to any charge they face for failing to stop. Meaning you must stop regardless if there are any warning signs.
Ohio law makes an exception to when school bus signals and signs need to be activated. This exception is when a school bus is in a loading area where the bus is entirely off the roadway or at school buildings when children are loading or unloading at a curbside.
If you fail to stop for a stopped school bus you will face hefty penalties. These penalties include a mandatory court appearance for passing a stopped school bus. Up to a $500 fine, up to a year license suspension, and points on your license.
Knowing when to stop when a school bus stops is important to know, especially since a lot of students start and end their day with a school bus ride.
Nichole Y. Shafer is an Ohio-licensed attorney at Schroeder Law LTD in Putnam County. She limits her practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. She can be reached at [email protected] or at 419-659-2058. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.
