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School bus safety: Troopers cracking down on drivers who don’t stop for buses

As children start the school year, state troopers will be on a mission to catch drivers who don’t stop for school buses.

From 2015 to 2017, there were more than 4,000 car crashes involving school buses statewide, according to school bus safety data released this month. Of those crashes, 425 were in the Miami Valley, with nearly half in Montgomery County.

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In the same time frame, nearly 4,200 drivers were convicted of not stopping for a school bus that was loading or dropping off students.

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Cars traveling the same direction of the bus always have to stop when it does. The only time drivers coming the opposite way don’t have to stop is on a divided highway with at least four lanes — two lanes one way, two lanes going the other way with a double yellow line, a shared turn lane or some other kind of divider.

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“If there’s a positive median barrier, there’s a grassway or there’s a cement barrier between the lanes ... then the people on the other side don’t have to stop,” said Lt. Brian Aller with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Troopers will be following school buses throughout the year to crack down on drivers breaking the law.

News Center 7 wants to make sure our local families are ready for the school year.

We have all the information you need to know on air and online, including your Storm Center 7 bus stop forecast.

Also be sure to check out our back to school guide.

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