2 people charged in Huron County for failing to stop for a stopped school bus

Exeter, Ont. -

Just two weeks into the new school year and OPP in Huron County have laid two charges and fielded multiple complaints for drivers not stopping for a stopped school bus.

On Monday, OPP charged a 77-year-old driver with failing to stop on Morris Road, as well as a 24-year-old driver who reportedly failed to stop on Huron Road.

According to police, young children were preparing to load onto the bus in both instances, when the vehicles passed by at highway speeds

"The law is very clear, if the school bus is stopped and the stop arm is activated and the overhead red lights are flashing you must come to a stop. Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” said Huron OPP Detachment Commander, Inspector Jason Younan. “The law is in place to keep our children safe, if you decide to pass a stopped school bus you may not only be facing charges, you may have to live with the fact you ran over a child.”

Officers are reminding all drivers to once again think about school bus safety now that the school year has begun.

When driving on a road WITHOUT a median:

• Drivers travelling in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing and/or stop arm activated
• When you approach the bus from the front, stop at a safe distance to let children get on or off the bus and cross the road
• Don't move forward until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm is no longer activated or the bus begins to move

When driving on a road WITH a median:

• Traffic coming from the opposite direction is not required to stop.

Police also say vehicle owners need to be aware that if the driver can't be identified, the owner can be charged if the licence plate number is obtained by a witness.

If convicted, the driver/owner can be fined anywhere from $400 up to $2,000 for a first offence and subsequent convictions could result in fines anywhere from $1,000 - $4,000, receive imprisonment, or both. The penalty section also levies six demerit points to a driver's licence and possible jail time, up to six months.