COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Traffic Safety Office has introduced a new public safety campaign to remind drivers about the state’s school bus traffic safety laws.

What You Need To Know

  • Make sure to stop at all stop signs

  • The speed limit is 20 mph in school zones and neighborhoods

  • The Ohio State Highway Safety patrol cited over 700 people for running or rolling through a stop sign

After a fatal Liking County school bus accident last summer, Gov. Mike DeWine established the School Bus Safety Working Group last year, and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office was established earlier.

One of the office’s recommendations was a social campaign surrounding school bus safety. AAA has joined them in putting out proper protocol and guidance regarding school bus safety. 

  • Keep track of time: According to AAA, more school children are killed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. than any other times of the day. 

  • Slow down: When in a school zone or residential neighborhood, speed limits drop to 20 mph.

  • Eliminate distractions: Research has shown that by taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.

  • Come to a complete stop: Rolling through a stop sign or not coming to a stop at all puts pedestrians and other motorists at a higher risk of an accident. 

  • Focus on school bus lights: Yellow flashing lights mean the school bus is slowing down and about to stop. Red flashing lights and the extended stop arm mean children are boarding or exiting the bus and motorists must come to a complete stop a safe distance from the bus. Drivers have to wait until the red lights stop flashing, the stop arm is retracted, and the bus starts moving again before they return to their drive.

In 2023, Ohio state highway patrol troopers issued 735 citations to motorists who did not stop or rolled through a stop sign. Kara Hitchens with AAA said that parents and teachers also want to ensure students aren’t putting themselves in harm’s way. 

“Make sure that your child doesn’t have any dangling strings or, you know, other things dangling off of their book bag that might get caught in a car door or get caught on the bus as the bus closes its doors as well,” said Hitchens. “Just make sure that, you know, everything is self-contained.”

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office is making educational materials available to schools, law enforcement and other entities across the state in a promotional toolkit. The kit includes a poster, a two-sided fact sheet about school bus safety, social media content and an informational video.