14,000 citations issued last school year for passing stopped school buses, Ohio State Highway Patrol says

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Now that class is back in session, school buses are back on local roads.

Ohio state troopers are warning anyone who drives to pay attention to those buses, their stop signs, and arms.

Driving past a school bus may seem like nothing when you’re in a rush, but don’t forget they’re holding precious cargo.

“We can’t keep continuing to be lucky,” said Sgt. Ray Santiago. “Our kids need to get to school and to school functions safely.”

In the past four years, Ohio state troopers have written more than 14,000 citations for people passing school buses.

Many of those instances, were caught on camera.

“If we look at Northeast Ohio, Cuyahoga County saw over 500 school bus-related crashes in over five years. That’s a lot, one of the highest in the state,” said Santiago.

Just last year, here in Cleveland, a third-grader broke her leg after she was struck by a car while getting off the school bus. A neighbor caught it all on tape, as the driver just drove off.

Santiago says many drivers when caught passing a bus say they were running late. He advises drivers to leave home early this week to get to know bus routes in your area so that you are not rushing and putting yourself and your children in danger.

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