Local law enforcement will be out in full force this spring to ensure students remain safe when traveling to and from school.
Over the next couple of weeks, officers will be positioned along bus routes and in school zones where they will be on high alert for stop-arm violations, speeding and other forms of reckless driving, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The overtime patrols are part of the state’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program and funded with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
“Every time you see a bus, slow down, be ready to stop and watch for children,” Sheriff Duane Burgess said in the news release. “If the overhead lights flash red and the stop arm extends, you are required by law to stop. Under no circumstances should you speed up in an attempt to beat the bus. That’s beyond reckless and puts every child boarding or exiting the bus in danger.”
The department joins more than 200 police agencies for the spring enforcement campaign, as part of an ongoing effort to prevent reckless driving in school zones and around buses. Last year alone, more than 2,700 drivers were cited for stop-arm violations by Indiana law enforcement, according to the criminal justice institute.
The sheriff’s office is urging motorists to slow down, pay attention to the road and never pass a bus that has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended. This applies to all roads with one exception. On highways divided by a physical barrier, such as a concrete wall or grassy median, only vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop, the news release says.
