Back to School: OSP urges drivers to be vigilant as school buses return to the roads

OHIO — With children going back to school in the coming weeks, school buses are returning to the roads. Sgt Ryan Purpura with the Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging drivers to remain vigilant.

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“A lot of crashes are preventable, especially around school buses, you know, they do display those flashing lights and the stop sign,” Purpura told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott.

According to Purpura, there have been nearly 600 crashes involving school buses in the Miami Valley and more than 6000 crashes across the state since 2018. Seven of those crashes have been deadly, killing seven people.

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Purpura emphasized the importance of understanding and following the school bus law in Ohio, in order to keep students safe when getting on and off the bus.

“Ohio law does require that you stop at least 10 feet from the school bus displaying lights and a stop sign and that you cannot resume travel until that bus begins to move,” Purpura said, “(and when) on a roadway with fewer than four lanes, all traffic approaching a school bus must stop.”

According to the Ohio Revised Code, drivers who do not stop for school buses can be fined up to $500 and can lose their license for up to a year.

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“Just pay attention, eliminate those distractions, look down the roadway. And when you see those school buses just think of those children,” Purpura said.

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